HISTORY

225 facts cite this source

Technology Energy

A cascading failure left 30 million people in the dark

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

A catastrophic earthquake devastates Haiti

45 sec read

Space Solar System

A meteorite crashed through a parked car in Peekskill

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

A volcanic mudflow buried the Colombian town of Armero

45 sec read

History Modern

Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Literature

Huckleberry Finn reaches American readers — and gets banned

45 sec read

Geography Countries

Alaska becomes the 49th U.S. state

45 sec read

Technology Inventions

Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone

45 sec read

History Modern

Amelia Earhart vanished over the Pacific Ocean

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

An assassination in Sarajevo triggered World War I

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Literature

Anne Frank got the diary that would move the world

45 sec read

Space Space Exploration

Apollo 12 made the second crewed Moon landing

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Apple's '1984' Super Bowl ad debuts the Macintosh

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Barack Obama was elected the first Black U.S. president

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

The Beatles meet America on Ed Sullivan

45 sec read

Sports Tennis

Billie Jean King won the 'Battle of the Sexes'

45 sec read

Society & Economy Economics

Black Tuesday crashed Wall Street into the Great Depression

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

The firebombing of Dresden begins

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Britain declared war on Germany, entering World War I

40 sec read

History Empires & Civilizations

Britain takes control of Hong Kong island

50 sec read

History Modern

Bush and Gorbachev signed a deal to slash chemical weapons

40 sec read

Geography Countries

California became the 31st U.S. state

50 sec read

Sports Combat Sports

Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title

40 sec read

Technology Transportation

Charles Lindbergh takes off on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight

45 sec read

History Modern

Che Guevara was captured in the Bolivian highlands

45 sec read

History Modern

Che Guevara was executed in a Bolivian schoolhouse

45 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

CNN launched the era of 24-hour cable news

45 sec read

Food & Drink Beverages

Coca-Cola was first sold in bottles

40 sec read

History Modern

Columbus set sail on his first voyage

40 sec read

Sports Records & Statistics

The scoreboard couldn't show Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10

70 sec read

Technology Engineering

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins

45 sec read

Technology Engineering

Construction of the Suez Canal officially began

40 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

Coordinated bombings struck London's transit system

45 sec read

History Modern

Cuban revolutionaries triumph as Batista flees Havana

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Custer's command was wiped out at the Little Bighorn

45 sec read

Technology Computing & AI

A computer beats the world chess champion

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Performing Arts

Disneyland opened its gates in California

40 sec read

Technology Inventions

Edison gave the first public demonstration of his light bulb

40 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty

50 sec read

Science Physics

Einstein's relativity paper reached the journal

45 sec read

Human Body & Mind Medicine & Disease

Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first U.S. woman to earn a medical degree

45 sec read

Human Body & Mind Medicine & Disease

The first mass polio shots are given

40 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

Ford Motor Company was incorporated

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

Ford unveiled the Mustang, launching the 'pony car' era

40 sec read

Science The Scientific Method

Galileo arrives in Rome to face the Inquisition

45 sec read

History Modern

Gandhi began the Salt March

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Germany signs its unconditional surrender, ending WWII in Europe

45 sec read

History Modern

Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill, sparking the Gold Rush

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Geology

Klondike gold claims were staked on Bonanza Creek

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Geology

The Grand Canyon becomes a national park

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Music

Handel's Messiah premiered in Dublin

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Hattie McDaniel becomes the first Black Oscar winner

50 sec read

Technology Transportation

Howard Hughes flew the giant Spruce Goose on its one and only flight

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Weather & Climate

Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast

45 sec read

Human Body & Mind Medicine & Disease

Insulin is first used to treat a diabetic patient

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

Japan's surrender was announced, ending World War II

40 sec read

History Medieval

Joan of Arc led the relief of the besieged city of Orleans

50 sec read

Human Body & Mind Medicine & Disease

Jonas Salk announced a successful polio vaccine

50 sec read

History Ancient

Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March

50 sec read

History Modern

Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

45 sec read

Space Space Exploration

Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon

50 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The Maastricht Treaty creates the EU

40 sec read

Geography Borders & Maps

One battered ship closed the first lap around the world

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Performing Arts

Magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween

50 sec read

History Modern

Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated

45 sec read

History Modern

Malcolm X assassinated in Harlem

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first female prime minister

40 sec read

Culture & Arts Performing Arts

Marilyn Monroe sings 'Happy Birthday' to President Kennedy

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Marilyn Monroe was found dead at 36

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Marines raise the flag on Iwo Jima

40 sec read

Religion & Beliefs Major Religions

Martin Luther's 95 Theses sparked the Reformation

50 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto

45 sec read

Science Physics

Max Planck presented the quantum theory of radiation

45 sec read

History Modern

Mexico's war of independence began with the Grito de Dolores

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Art

Michelangelo's David was unveiled in Florence

45 sec read

History Modern

Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet leader

45 sec read

Sports Olympics

'Miracle on Ice' at the Lake Placid Olympics

50 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

Mount St. Helens erupts catastrophically in Washington State

40 sec read

History Modern

Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French

40 sec read

History War & Conflict

Napoleon met his final defeat at Waterloo

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Napoleon's army entered a burning Moscow

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

Napoleon's Grande Armee crossed the Niemen into Russia

45 sec read

Space Space Exploration

NASA launches Skylab, America's first space station

45 sec read

Space Space Exploration

NASA's Spirit rover lands on Mars

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president

45 sec read

History Modern

Nelson Mandela walks free after 27 years

50 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

Nevada legalized wide-open gambling in the depths of the Depression

50 sec read

Space Astrophysics

The man who moved Earth out of the center

45 sec read

Language & Communication Languages

Noah Webster published his American Dictionary of the English Language

40 sec read

Language & Communication Etymology

"OK" started as a deliberately misspelled joke in 1839

60 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

Orson Welles aired War of the Worlds as fake news bulletins

50 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

Bonnie and Clyde are killed in a Louisiana ambush

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Art

Pablo Picasso was born

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed over Lockerbie

50 sec read

History Modern

Panama declared independence, clearing the way for the canal

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas

40 sec read

Society & Economy Economics

President Truman signed the Marshall Plan to rebuild postwar Europe

45 sec read

History Modern

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in the first televised coronation

40 sec read

Geography Countries

Richard Byrd's team made the first flight over the South Pole

45 sec read

Geography Landmarks & Wonders

Robert Peary's expedition claimed to reach the North Pole

45 sec read

History Modern

Romania's dictator Ceausescu fled Bucharest by helicopter

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Saddam Hussein was captured in Iraq

40 sec read

Religion & Beliefs Major Religions

Saint Patrick, patron of Ireland, is traditionally said to have died

45 sec read

Technology Inventions

Samuel Morse demonstrates the telegraph

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Snow White, the first full-length animated feature, opens widely

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

Soviet troops liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp

45 sec read

Technology Inventions

Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone

40 sec read

History Archaeology

Teenagers discovered the Lascaux cave paintings

45 sec read

Geography Countries

Texas became the 28th U.S. state

40 sec read

Language & Communication Etymology

The abbreviation 'OK' first appeared in print

40 sec read

Technology Transportation

The airship Hindenburg bursts into flames at Lakehurst, New Jersey

40 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

The Barbie doll made its debut

45 sec read

History Medieval

The Battle of Agincourt stunned France

50 sec read

History Medieval

The Battle of Bosworth ended the Wars of the Roses

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

The Battle of the Alamo fell after a 13-day siege

40 sec read

History War & Conflict

The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba began

45 sec read

Technology Engineering

The Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France opens

45 sec read

Religion & Beliefs Major Religions

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet into exile

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

The Dunkirk evacuation begins, a flotilla rescues a trapped army

40 sec read

Geography Landmarks & Wonders

The Eiffel Tower was completed

45 sec read

Technology Engineering

The Empire State Building opens in New York City

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

The first Academy Awards ceremony is held in Hollywood

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

The first battle between ironclad warships was fought

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

The first crewed transatlantic balloon flight succeeded

45 sec read

Technology Inventions

The first intelligible telephone call summoned an assistant

45 sec read

Sports Football (Soccer)

The first intercollegiate football game was played

45 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The first issue of Life magazine appeared

45 sec read

Sports Olympics

The first modern Olympic Games opened in Athens

45 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

Jack the Ripper's first canonical victim was murdered

45 sec read

Sports Records & Statistics

The first organized indoor hockey game was played in Montreal

50 sec read

Technology Inventions

The first recorded parachute jump took place

45 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The first televised White House address aired

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The first UN General Assembly convenes in London

45 sec read

Sports Olympics

The first Winter Olympic Games open in Chamonix

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

The German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic

40 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place

45 sec read

History Modern

The Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament was foiled

50 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

The Hudson's Bay Company is chartered in London

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

The Korean War began with an invasion from the north

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

The last US combat troops left Vietnam

40 sec read

History Empires & Civilizations

The last Western Roman emperor was deposed

45 sec read

History Ancient

Rome's legendary founding is traditionally dated to this day

40 sec read

Culture & Arts Literature

The Library of Congress was established

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

The Lisbon earthquake struck mid-Mass and shook Europe's faith in a benevolent order

50 sec read

Technology Transportation

The London Underground opens, the world's first subway

40 sec read

History Modern

The Mayflower departed Plymouth for America

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

The Miracle on the Hudson river landing

50 sec read

History Modern

The mutiny on HMS Bounty broke out in the Pacific

50 sec read

Technology Engineering

The Panama Canal opened to traffic

50 sec read

Society & Economy Trade

The Pony Express began carrying mail across the American West

45 sec read

Sports Combat Sports

Ali shocked Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle"

50 sec read

History Modern

The Selma to Montgomery march set off under federal protection

45 sec read

Science The Scientific Method

The Smithsonian Institution was established

50 sec read

History Modern

The Soviet Union was officially established

45 sec read

History Modern

The Stars and Stripes became the U.S. flag

45 sec read

Geography Landmarks & Wonders

The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The Stonewall uprising sparked the gay rights movement

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

The supersonic Concorde enters commercial service

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

The Texas City disaster killed nearly 600 in a ship explosion

45 sec read

Technology Energy

The Three Mile Island nuclear accident began

45 sec read

Earth & Climate Natural Disasters

The Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic

40 sec read

Technology Engineering

The two ends of the Channel Tunnel were connected beneath the sea

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The U.S. Bill of Rights came into force

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The U.S. Congress passes the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery

50 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The U.S. Constitution was signed in Philadelphia

45 sec read

Geography Landmarks & Wonders

The U.S. handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama

40 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Government under the U.S. Constitution began

50 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

The Walt Disney Company was founded with a four-page contract

40 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The Watergate break-in set a presidency unraveling

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Music

The Woodstock festival opened

50 sec read

History Medieval

Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral

45 sec read

Geography Borders & Maps

The Kon-Tiki Raft Crossed the Pacific on Balsa Logs

50 sec read

History Modern

Thor Heyerdahl set sail on the Kon-Tiki raft across the Pacific

50 sec read

History Archaeology

Howard Carter opens Tutankhamun's burial chamber

45 sec read

Geography Borders & Maps

Twelve nations signed the Antarctic Treaty

40 sec read

Human Body & Mind Medicine & Disease

U.S. Surgeon General links smoking to cancer

50 sec read

History War & Conflict

USS Maine explodes in Havana Harbor

40 sec read

Technology Engineering

USS Nautilus crossed the North Pole beneath the ice

50 sec read

History Modern

Vicente Pinzón becomes the first European to reach Brazil

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

Voyager flew nonstop around the world without refueling

40 sec read

Technology Transportation

VW Beetle overtakes the Ford Model T

50 sec read

Technology The Internet

Wikipedia goes online

50 sec read

History Modern

Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world

50 sec read

History Medieval

William the Conqueror landed in England

45 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

A van bomb tears a crater under the World Trade Center

45 sec read

Technology Transportation

The first powered flight lasted just 12 seconds

90 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

American Bandstand goes national on ABC

50 sec read

Technology Transportation

Earhart Solos the Pacific, Hawaii to California

50 sec read

History Empires & Civilizations

Elizabeth I Is Crowned Queen of England

45 sec read

History Empires & Civilizations

The Day the Victorian Era Ended

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Performing Arts

The Frisbee Toy Is First Sold

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Art

Michelangelo Was Born

50 sec read

Geography Landmarks & Wonders

Big Ben's Great Bell Rang for the First Time

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Performing Arts

Charles and Diana married at St Paul's Cathedral

50 sec read

History Modern

Columbus Reached the South American Mainland

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Art

A Simple Tennis Game Launched the Arcade Era

50 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Golda Meir became Israel's first female prime minister

55 sec read

History War & Conflict

Mussolini Executed by Italian Partisans

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

Lech Walesa won Poland's first direct presidential election

45 sec read

History Modern

Martin Luther King Jr. Won the Nobel Peace Prize

50 sec read

Culture & Arts Music

Paul McCartney announced the breakup of the Beatles

45 sec read

Sports Records & Statistics

Secretariat Won the Triple Crown by 31 Lengths

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Literature

Shakespeare's Marriage Bond

45 sec read

History Modern

The Bridge of Spies Swap That Freed Gary Powers

55 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The 33 Trapped Chilean Miners Were Rescued

55 sec read

Sports Football (Soccer)

The First FIFA World Cup Match Was Played

50 sec read

History Modern

The Great Migration of 1843 Opens the Oregon Trail to Families

50 sec read

Society & Economy Crime

The Los Angeles riots erupted after the Rodney King verdict

45 sec read

History War & Conflict

The Nanjing Massacre began

50 sec read

Religion & Beliefs Major Religions

The Prophet Muhammad Died in Medina

50 sec read

History Modern

The Tennis Court Oath launched the French Revolution

45 sec read

History Modern

The U.S. Naval Academy opened at Annapolis

45 sec read

Geography Countries

The United Arab Emirates was formed

45 sec read

Society & Economy Politics & Law

The US Postal Service introduced ZIP codes

50 sec read

Space Space Exploration

Three Soviet Cosmonauts Died Returning From Space

45 sec read

Society & Economy Business & Markets

Volkswagen Is Founded in Germany

50 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The first text message ever sent read: Merry Christmas

45 sec read

Culture & Arts Film & TV

Cinema was born in a Paris basement on 28 December 1895

45 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The first radio signal across the Atlantic was a single letter S

40 sec read

Language & Communication Media & Communication

The first telegraph message asked: What hath God wrought?

40 sec read

History Modern

New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote, in 1893

40 sec read

Culture & Arts Literature

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four was published on 8 June 1949

45 sec read

Sports Basketball

Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a single NBA game

45 sec read