1687: Isaac Newton’s great work, “Principia,” is published by the Royal Society in England, outlining his laws of motion and universal gravitation 1811: Venezuelan Declaration of Independence: Seven provinces declare independence from Spain 1852: Fugitive slave Frederick Douglass delivers his ‘What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?’ speech to the Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society in […]
1776: US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Great Britain 1785: Geologist James Hutton publicly reads an abstract of his theory of uniformitarianism for the first time at the meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1803: The Louisiana Purchase is announced to the American people by President Thomas Jefferson 1838: Huskar […]
324: Battle of Adrianople: Roman Emperor Constantine I defeats his co-emperor Licinius, who flees to Byzantium 1863: Battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever fought on the American continent, ends in a major victory for the Union during the US Civil War 1884: Dow Jones publishes its first stock index, the Dow Jones Transportation Average […]
626: Incident at Xuanwu Gate: Prince Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rivals, the brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng, sons of Emperor Gaozu; he then forces the emperor to name him as successor to the throne 1776: Continental Congress resolves “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States” […]
1690: Army of Protestant King William III of England defeats deposed Roman Catholic King James II in the Battle of the Boyne at Oldbridge, Ireland 1858: Joint reading of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace’s papers on evolution to the Linnean Society renders audience awestruck and silent 1863: Battle of Gettysburg begins in Pennsylvania, Union […]
1520: Spanish conquistadors are expelled from Tenochtitlan following an Aztec revolt against their rule under Hernán Cortés during “La Noche Triste” (the Night of Sadness). Many soldiers drown in the escape, and Aztec emperor Moctezuma II dies in the struggle. 1860: Famous debate on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution held at the Oxford University Museum […]
1613: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London burns down during a performance of “Henry VIII” 1900: The Imperial Chinese Court issues what is essentially a declaration of war against foreigners in China, blaming them for hostilities and giving license to the Boxers for even greater ferocity 1939: Ford introduces the revolutionary Ford-Ferguson 9N tractor incorporating Harry […]
1519: King Carlos I is elected Holy Roman Emperor Charles V 1838: Coronation of Queen Victoria, aged 19, during a five-hour ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London 1914: Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie are assassinated by Bosnian-Serb assassin Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, setting off a chain of alliances and events that lead […]
1542: Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sets sail from the Mexican port of Navidad on the first European voyage to explore the west coast of North America for the Spanish Empire 1709: Great Northern War: Peter the Great of Russia defeats Charles XII of Sweden at the Battle of Poltava; Charles goes into exile in Bender, Ottoman […]
363: Roman Emperor Julian is killed during retreat from the Sassanid Empire. General Jovian is proclaimed Emperor by troops on the battlefield. 1794: Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs). First use of a reconnaissance […]
