1793: Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completes the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico 1921: Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson becomes the first woman to preside over the floor of US House of Representatives 1969: NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar module, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, lands on the surface of the Moon. Seven hours […]
1595: Astronomer Johannes Kepler has an epiphany and develops his theory of the geometrical basis of the universe while teaching in Graz, Austria 1843: Steamship SS Great Britain is launched, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it is the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull or screw propeller and the largest vessel afloat in the […]
64: Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero 1334: Bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by artist Giotto di Bondone 1925: Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf, original title was the catchy “Four and a Half Years (of Struggle) Against Lies, […]
180: Six residents of Carthage, North Africa, are executed for being Christian, the earliest recorded instance of Christianity in the region 1203: Siege of Constantinople begins during the Fourth Crusade, as Roman Catholic Crusaders, aboard a Venetian fleet, attack the city 1762: Empress Catherine II becomes Tsarina of Russia after the death and rumored assassination […]
622: Islamic Era begins: Muhammad and his followers begin migration from Mecca to Medina (Hijra) 1054: The Great Schism between Western and Eastern churches begins when Roman Cardinal Humbert issues a bull of excommunication against Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, on the altar of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople 1517: copy of Martin Luther’s 95 theses, […]
1099: City of Jerusalem is captured and plundered by Christian forces during the First Crusade 1381: John Ball, a leader in the Peasants’ Revolt, is hanged, drawn and quartered in the presence of Richard II of England 1410: Battle of Grunwald (First Battle of Tannenburg, Battle of Žalgiris), one of Medieval Europe’s largest battles during […]
1789: The French Revolution begins with the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, now celebrated as Bastille Day, France’s national day 1798: US Sedition Act prohibits “any false, scandalous, and malicious writing” about the government 1850: First public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration by Florida physician John Gorrie 1933: All non-Nazi political parties […]
1772: Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (Southern Continent) 1832: Source of Mississippi River discovered by American geographer Henry Schoolcraft 1835: Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson files for a patent for his screw propeller design 1870: King Wilhelm I of Prussia sends the […]
1192: Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Taishōgun, the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan and de facto ruler 1679: Britain’s King Charles II ratifies Habeas Corpus Act allowing prisoners’ right to a court review of the justification for their imprisonment 1790: French Revolution: The Civil Constitution of the Clergy is adopted, putting the Catholic […]
1405: Chinese fleet commander Zheng He sets sail to the Spice Islands on his first major expedition, leading 208 vessels, including 62 treasure ships with 27,800 sailors 1533: Pope Clement VII excommunicates England’s King Henry VIII 1818: English poet John Keats writes “In the Cottage Where Burns is Born,” “Lines Written in the Highlands,” and […]
