This Day in History

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 15 2011 U.S. declares an end to the War in Iraq In a ceremony held in Baghdad on December 15, 2011, the war that began in 2003 with the American-led invasion of Iraq officially comes to an end. Though today was the official end date of the Iraq War, violence continued and in fact worsened over the subsequent years. The withdrawal of American... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1973 Kidnapped grandson of Getty billionaire found   Art, Literature and Film History 1944 Legendary bandleader Glenn Miller disappears over the English Channel 1993 “Schindler’s List” opens, wins Steven Spielberg his first Oscar   Cold War 1978 United States announces that it will recognize communist China   Crime 1988 James Brown begins his prison sentence   Holocaust 1961 Architect of the Holocaust sentenced to die   LGBTQ+ History 1973 The American Psychiatric Association removes homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses   Landmarks 2001 Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens   Native American History 1890 Sitting Bull killed by Indian police   Sports 1925 Madison Square Garden formally opens with NHL game 1973 Jockey Sandy Hawley wins record 500th race 1974 “Catfish” Hunter becomes MLB’s first free agent in modern era   U.S. Constitution 1791 Bill of Rights is finally ratified   World War I 1917 Russia reaches armistice with the Central Powers   World War II 1945 General MacArthur orders end of Shinto as Japanese state religion

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 16 1773 The Boston Tea Party In Boston Harbor, a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians board three British tea ships and dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The midnight raid, popularly known as the “Boston Tea Party,” was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773, a bill designed to... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1960s 1960 Two airplanes collide over New York City   Art, Literature and Film History 1775 Jane Austen is born 1893 Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” receives its world premiere in New York City 2009 Blockbuster sci-fi film “Avatar” has its U.S. premiere   Crime 1989 A terrorist bomber begins his deadly rampage   Sports 1973 OJ Simpson rushes record 2,000 yards in a season   U.S. Presidents 1950 President Truman declares state of emergency over Korean War 1998 U.S. House of Representatives recommends impeaching Clinton 1998 President Clinton orders air attack on Iraq   World War I 1914 Germans bombard English ports of Hartlepool and Scarborough   World War II 1938 Hitler establishes Mother’s Cross to encourage German women to procreate 1944 Battle of the Bulge begins

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 17 1903 First airplane flies Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its... read more   SPONSORED Save On a Year of The Atlantic Get 25% off a subscription, plus one month free. Navigate the year ahead with journalism that will inform, challenge, and delight. Get Offer 19th Century 1872 Buffalo Bill Cody makes his first stage appearance   1960s 1961 Circus catches fire in Brazil, killing hundreds   21st Century 2011 Kim Jong Il, leader of North Korea, dies   American Revolution 1777 France formally recognizes the United States   Art, Literature and Film History 1892 First issue of “Vogue” is published 2003 Third and final “Lord of the Rings” movie opens   Civil War 1862 Union General Ulysses S. Grant expels Jews from his military district   Cold War 1991 Boris Yeltsin announces the Soviet Union will cease to exist by New Year’s Eve   Crime 1975 Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme sentenced to life for assassination attempt 1986 “Operation Iceman” nabs notorious mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski   Inventions & Science 1979 Stuntman Stan Barrett breaks the sound barrier, unofficially   Middle Eastern History 2010 Street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi self-immolates in Tunisia, igniting the Arab Spring   U.S. Government and Politics 1944 U.S. approves end to internment of Japanese Americans 1963 Clean Air Act becomes law   World War II 1941 Commander at Pearl Harbor relieved of his duties

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 18 1620 Mayflower arrives at Plymouth Harbor On December 18, 1620, with the English ship Mayflower anchored in Plymouth Harbor, Massachusetts, a small party of sailors from the vessel go ashore, as its passengers prepare to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Art, Literature and Film History 1961 The Tokens earn a #1 hit with “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”   European History 1912 News breaks of “Piltdown Man” fossil discovery   Slavery 1865 Slavery abolished in America with adoption of 13th amendment   Sports 1932 First NFL playoff game is played indoors   U.S. Presidents 1915 Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt 1972 Joe Biden loses first wife and daughter in tragic car accident 2019 Donald Trump impeached for the first time   Vietnam War 1972 Nixon announces start of “Christmas Bombing” of North Vietnam   World War I 1916 Battle of Verdun ends   World War II 1941 Japan invades Hong Kong

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 19 1998 President Clinton impeached After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1776 Thomas Paine publishes “The American Crisis” 1777 George Washington leads troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge   Art, Literature and Film History 1843 “A Christmas Carol” is published 1997 “Titanic” sails into theaters   Asian History 1984 Britain agrees to return Hong Kong to China   Cold War 1986 Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov released from internal exile   Colonial America 1732 Benjamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack” is published   Crime 1986 World Series parachutist sentenced   Space Exploration 1972 Last lunar-landing mission ends   Sports 1917 National Hockey League opens its first season 1990 Bo Jackson becomes first athlete named to NFL, MLB all-star games   World War II 1941 Hitler takes command of the German army

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 20 1957 Elvis Presley is drafted On December 20, 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-and-roll star Elvis Presley receives his draft notice for the United States Army. With a suggestive style—one writer called him “Elvis the Pelvis”—a hit movie, "Love Me Tender," and a... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1995 NATO assumes peacekeeping duties in Bosnia   Art, Literature and Film History 1989 “Roger & Me” opens in U.S. theaters   Cold War 1963 Berlin Wall opened for first time   Crime 1986 Man chased to his death in Howard Beach hate crime   Latin American & Caribbean History 1989 The U.S. invades Panama   Vietnam War 1960 National Liberation Front formed   World War II 1941 Hitler to Halder: No retreat!

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 21 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Scotland On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members aboard, as well as 11 Lockerbie residents on the ground. A bomb hidden inside an audio cassette player detonated in the cargo area when the... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1866 Native warriors ambush 81 U.S. soldiers in Fetterman Massacre   21st Century 2012 “Gangnam Style” becomes the first YouTube video to reach one billion views   Art, Literature and Film History 1967 “The Graduate” opens in New York 1996 “Curious George” co-creator Margret Rey dies   Crime 1954 A sensationalized murder trial inspires “The Fugitive” 1980 Socialite Sunny von Bulow is found comatose   European History 1958 Charles de Gaulle elected president of France   Space Exploration 1968 Apollo 8 departs for lunar orbit   Sports 1891 First basketball game played   U.S. Presidents 1970 President Nixon meets Elvis Presley   World War II 1945 General George S. Patton dies

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 22 1956 First gorilla born in captivity On December 22, 1956, a baby gorilla named Colo enters the world at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, becoming the first-ever gorilla born in captivity. Weighing in at approximately 4 pounds, Colo, a western lowland gorilla whose name was a combination of Columbus and Ohio, was the daughter of Millie and... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1884 Cattleman John Chisum dies in Arkansas   Art, Literature and Film History 1808 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony given world premiere in Vienna 1849 Fyodor Dostoevsky spared from execution 1993 “Philadelphia,” the first major Hollywood movie about AIDS, opens in theaters   Civil War 1864 General Sherman presents President Lincoln with a Christmas gift   Cold War 1989 Romanian government falls   Crime 1978 John Wayne Gacy confesses to dozens of murders 1984 Bernhard Goetz shoots four youths on the subway 2001 “Shoe bomber” Richard Reid attempts to detonate bombs on Paris-Miami flight   European History 1894 Albert Dreyfus found guilty, sparking French scandal   Latin American & Caribbean History 1988 Chico Mendes, leading Brazilian conservationist, is assassinated   Sports 1894 Governing body for U.S. golf is founded   U.S. Presidents 1968 Julie Nixon marries David Eisenhower   Vietnam War 1971 Soviet Union attacks Chinese policy toward Vietnam   World War I 1917 Russian-German peace talks begin at Brest-Litovsk   World War II 1941 Churchill and Roosevelt discuss war and peace

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 23 1888 Vincent van Gogh chops off his ear On December 23, 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France. He later documented the event in a painting titled "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear." Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an...  read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1783 George Washington resigns as commander in chief   Art, Literature and Film History 1823 The poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” is first published 1959 Chuck Berry is indicted on Mann Act charges in St. Louis, Missouri 1997 Woody Allen marries Soon-Yi Previn   Black History 1867 Madam C.J. Walker is born   Christmas 1823 The poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” is first published   Cold War 1968 Crew of USS Pueblo released by North Korea   Colonial America 1620 Construction of Plymouth settlement begins   Crime 2009 “Balloon Boy” parents sentenced in Colorado   Exploration 1986 Voyager completes global flight   Inventions & Science 1982 Chemical contamination prompts evacuation of Missouri town 1983 The journal "Science" publishes first academic report on nuclear winter   Sports 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers’ Franco Harris scores on “Immaculate Reception” iconic NFL play 1982 Chaminade shocks No. 1 Virginia in one of greatest upsets in sports history   World War II 1944 The execution of Eddie Slovik is authorized 1948 Japanese war criminals hanged in Tokyo

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 24 1979 Soviet Union invades Afghanistan On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1814 Treaty signed to end the War of 1812 1851 Fire ravages Library of Congress   Art, Literature and Film History 1973 Stephenie Meyer, best-selling author of “Twilight” novels, is born   Cold War 1952 McCarran-Walter Act goes into effect, revising immigration laws   Inventions & Science 1801 Richard Trevithick introduces his “Puffing Devil” 1948 A family moves into the world’s first fully solar house   U.S. Presidents 1923 President Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree   Vietnam War 1964 Viet Cong bomb Brinks Hotel 1972 Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 25 1914 The Christmas Truce Just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I cease firing their guns and artillery and commence to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands... read more American Revolution 1776 George Washington crosses the Delaware   Art, Literature and Film History 1895 The legend of “Stagger Lee” is born 1941 Bing Crosby introduces “White Christmas” to the world 1962 “To Kill a Mockingbird” film premieres in Los Angeles   Cold War 1991 Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the USSR   Religion 6 Christ is born?   Sports 1971 Miami Dolphins beat Kansas City Chiefs in NFL’s longest game 2002 Katie Hnida is first woman to play in Division I football game

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 26 1946 Bugsy Siegel opens Flamingo Hotel Mobster Bugsy Siegel opens the glitzy Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 26, 1946.  Well-known singer and comedian Jimmy Durante headlined the night’s entertainment, with music by Cuban band leader Xavier Cugat. Some of infamous gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s Hollywood friends,... read more 19th Century 1820 Moses Austin asks Spain for Texas colony   American Revolution 1776 George Washington wins first major U.S. victory at Trenton   Annual Observances 1941 FDR establishes modern Thanksgiving holiday 1966 The first Kwanzaa   Art, Literature and Film History 1973 “The Exorcist” opens in theaters   Crime 1996 Body of six‑year‑old JonBenét Ramsey is found   Inventions & Science 1956 Carmaker Preston Tucker dies   Natural Disasters & Environment 2004 Tsunami devastates Indian Ocean coast   Sports 1908 Jack Johnson wins heavyweight title   U.S. Presidents 1972 Harry Truman dies   World War I 1917 U.S. government takes over control of nation’s railroads   World War II 1941 Office of Price Administration announces automobile tire rationing 1943 Britain surprises German attacker in the Arctic 1944 General Patton relieves Allies at Bastogne

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 27 1932 Radio City Music Hall opens At the height of the Great Depression, thousands turn out for the opening of Radio City Music Hall, a magnificent Art Deco theater in New York City. Radio City Music Hall was designed as a palace for the people, a place of beauty where ordinary people could see high-quality entertainment. Since its... read more Art, Literature and Film History 1904 J.M. Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” opens in London   Cold War 1979 Soviets take over in Afghanistan   Crime 1900 Prohibitionist Carry Nation smashes bar 1985 World‑renowned primatologist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda   European History 1831 Charles Darwin sets sail from England   Middle Eastern History 2007 Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto assassinated   Space Exploration 1968 Apollo 8 returns to Earth   U.S. Presidents 1944 FDR seizes control of Montgomery Ward   World War I 1918 Polish citizens take up arms against German troops in Poznan

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 28 1895 First commercial movie screened On December 28, 1895, the world’s first commercial movie screening takes place at the Grand Cafe in Paris. The film was made by Louis and Auguste Lumière, two French brothers who developed a camera-projector called the Cinematographe. The Lumière brothers unveiled their invention to the public in... read more Art, Literature and Film History 1973 “The Gulag Archipelago” is published 1991 Nine killed in a stampede outside a hip-hop celebrity basketball game   Crime 1793 Writer Thomas Paine is arrested in France   Inventions & Science 1938 Silent-film star and inventor Florence Lawrence dies 1981 First American “test-tube baby” is born   Natural Disasters & Environment 1908 Worst European earthquake ever recorded   Sports 1958 Colts win NFL title in “Greatest Game Ever Played” 1975 Dallas Cowboys win playoff game on “Hail Mary” pass   U.S. Government and Politics 1832 John C. Calhoun resigns vice presidency 1973 Endangered Species Act signed into law   U.S. Presidents 1856 Woodrow Wilson born in Staunton, Virginia   Vietnam War 1964 Battle of Binh Gia begins   World War II 1944 Hungary declares war on Germany

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 29 1890 U.S. Army massacres Lakota Indians at Wounded Knee On December 29, 1890, in one of the final chapters of America’s long Indian wars, the U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Lakota Indians at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. Throughout 1890, the U.S. government worried about the increasing influence at Pine Ridge of the Ghost Dance spiritual... read more 19th Century 1845 Texas enters the Union   American Revolution 1778 British capture Savannah, Georgia   Crime 1610 Hungarian countess’s torturous escapades are exposed 1985 The “Railway Rapist” commits his first murder   European History 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket is murdered   World War II 1940 London is devastated by German air raid

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 30 1922 USSR established On December 30, 1922, in post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided in 1936 into the Georgian, Azerbaijan and Armenian republics). Also known as the... read more 1960s 1965 Ferdinand Marcos inaugurated president of the Philippines   Art, Literature and Film History 1968 Led Zeppelin recorded live for the first time   Crime 1994 An anti-abortion activist goes on a murder spree   Early 20th Century U.S. 1903 Fire breaks out in Chicago theater   Inventions & Science 1936 Sit-down strike begins in Flint   Latin American & Caribbean History 1853 Gadsden Purchase helps establish southern U.S. border   World War I 1916 Rasputin is murdered   World War II 1884 Japanese prime minister Hideki Tojo is born

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY December 31 1999 Panama Canal turned over to Panama On December 31, 1999, the United States, in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, officially hands over control of the Panama Canal, putting the strategic waterway into Panamanian hands for the first time. Crowds of Panamanians celebrated the transfer of the 50-mile canal, which links the... read more 21st Century 2019 Wuhan government confirms dozens of cases of virus later ID’d as COVID-19   American Revolution 1775 Patriots are defeated at Quebec   Art, Literature and Film History 1985 Rick Nelson dies in a plane crash   Civil War 1862 U.S.S. Monitor sinks   Crime 1984 Subway shooter Bernhard Goetz turns himself in   European History 1600 Charter granted to the East India Company 1999 Putin becomes acting president of Russia, following Yeltsin’s resignation   Inventions & Science 1879 Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent light   Space Exploration 1968 Soviets test supersonic airliner   Sports 1972 Baseball star Roberto Clemente dies in plane crash 1988 Chicago Bears beat Philadelphia Eagles in freaky Fog Bowl   U.S. Presidents 1961 Kennedy and Khrushchev exchange holiday greetings

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 01 1863 Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation. Attempting to stitch together a nation mired in a bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln made a last-ditch, but carefully calculated, decision regarding the institution of slavery in America. By the end of 1862, things were not... read more 19th Century 1863 A Nebraska farmer files the first homestead claim   1990s 1999 The euro debuts   American Revolution 1781 Mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line   Annual Observances 45 B.C. The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time on New Year’s Day   Art, Literature and Film History 1818 Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is published 1915 A preview of “The Birth of a Nation” is shown to audiences 1958 Johnny Cash plays San Quentin State Prison 1980 Sherry Lansing named first female studio production head   Black History 1923 Rosewood Massacre decimates Black Florida community   Immigration 1892 The first immigrants arrive at Ellis Island   Latin American & Caribbean History 1804 Haitian independence proclaimed 1959 Batista forced out by Castro-led revolution   Sports 2006 New England Patriots’ Doug Flutie makes NFL’s first drop kick since 1941 2008 Sidney Crosby wins first NHL game played outdoors in US   U.S. Government and Politics 1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into effect   World War II 1942 26 WWII Allies declare themselves "United Nations"

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 02 1980 U.S.-Russia detente ends On January 2, 1980, in a strong reaction to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter asks the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II nuclear weapons treaty and recalls the U.S. ambassador to Moscow. These actions sent a message that the age of detente and the... read more 19th Century 1923 Secretary Fall announces resignation in Teapot Dome scandal   21st Century 2006 13 coal miners are trapped in Sago Mine disaster; 12 die   American Revolution 1776 Continental Congress publishes the Tory Act   Art, Literature and Film History 1897 Author Stephen Crane’s boat sinks 1958 Opera star Maria Callas walks out of performance 1962 Folk group The Weavers are banned by NBC after refusing to sign a loyalty oath   Colonial America 1788 Georgia enters the Union   Crime 1973 The real‑life murder behind “Looking For Mr. Goodbar” 1981 The Yorkshire Ripper is apprehended   European History 1905 Russian fleet surrenders at Port Arthur   Exploration 1492 Reconquest of Spain   Inventions & Science 2009 News breaks of rare Bugatti “garage find”   Sports 1965 Joe Namath spurns NFL to sign record deal with AFL’s New York Jets 1971 Football fans crushed in stadium stampede   U.S. Government and Politics 1811 First censuring of a U.S. senator   U.S. Presidents 1974 President Nixon signs national speed limit into law World War II 1946 Several Japanese soldiers surrender after learning Pacific War has ended

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 03 1990 Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surrenders to U.S. On January 3, 1990, Panama’s General Manuel Antonio Noriega, after holing up for 10 days at the Vatican embassy in Panama City, surrenders to U.S. military troops to face charges of drug trafficking. Noriega was flown to Miami the following day and crowds of citizens on the streets of Panama City... read more 19th Century 1834 Stephen Austin imprisoned by Mexicans   1960s 1967 Jack Ruby dies before second trial   American Revolution 1777 The Battle of Princeton   Ancient Egypt 1924 King Tut’s sarcophagus uncovered   Art, Literature and Film History 1841 Herman Melville sails for the South Seas 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts first woman   Asian American & Pacific Islander History 1957 Dalip Singh Saund assumes office as the first Asian American and the first Sikh elected to Congress   Asian History 1868 Meiji Restoration begins   Civil War 1861 Delaware rejects secession   Cold War 1961 United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba   Crime 1990 Charles Stuart implicated for staged murder of his wife   Religion 1521 Martin Luther excommunicated   Space Exploration 2004 The Mars Exploration Rover “Spirit” safely lands on the Red Planet   Sports 1973 George Steinbrenner’s group buys Yankees from CBS 1993 Buffalo Bills pull off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history   U.S. Government and Politics 1959 George A. Kasem of California becomes first Arab American member of Congress 1959 Alaska admitted into Union 1973 James Abourezk of South Dakota becomes first Arab American to serve in U.S. Senate   U.S. Presidents 1938 Franklin Roosevelt founds March of Dimes   World War I 1925 Benito Mussolini declares himself dictator of Italy

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 04 1965 L.B.J. envisions a Great Society in his State of the Union address On January 4, 1965, in his State of the Union address, President Lyndon Baines Johnson lays out for Congress a laundry list of legislation needed to achieve his plan for a Great Society. On the heels of John F. Kennedy’s tragic death, Americans had elected Johnson, his vice president, to the... read more 19th Century 1896 Utah enters the Union   1990s 1990 Trains collide in Pakistan   Asian American & Pacific Islander History 1965 Patsy T. Mink sworn in as first Asian American woman and woman of color in Congress   Crime 1870 John Wesley Hardin kills over a card game 1964 Boston Strangler commits his final known murder   Inventions & Science 1809 Louis Braille is born 1847 Samuel Colt sells his first revolvers to the U.S. government 1996 GM announces its electric car   U.S. Government and Politics 1995 Republican Party takes control of Congress for first time in 40 years   Women’s History 2007 Nancy Pelosi becomes first female Speaker of the House   World War I 1913 German military strategist Alfred von Schlieffen dies

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 05 1933 Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge On January 5, 1933, construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge, as workers began excavating 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt for the structure’s huge anchorages. Following the Gold Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Francisco Bay would increase in value in... read more 1960s 1968 Prague Spring begins in Czechoslovakia   American Revolution 1781 Benedict Arnold captures and destroys Richmond   Art, Literature and Film History 1953 Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” premieres in Paris 1980 The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” becomes hip-hop’s first Top 40 hit 1998 Sonny Bono killed in skiing accident   Crime 1970 Bodies of family killed by United Mine Workers found   European History 1895 Alleged spy Alfred Dreyfus stripped of his rank   Religion 1531 Pope Clement VII forbids King Henry VIII from remarrying   Sports 1920 New York Yankees announce purchase of Babe Ruth   U.S. Presidents 1949 President Truman delivers his Fair Deal speech 1957 President Eisenhower proposes new Middle East policy 1972 President Nixon launches space shuttle program   Vietnam War 1976 Pol Pot renames Cambodia   World War I 1916 First conscription bill is introduced in British parliament

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 06 1838 Samuel Morse unveils the telegraph, revolutionizing communication On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse’s telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication,... read more 19th Century 1799 Frontiersman Jedediah Smith is born   21st Century 2021 U.S. Capitol riot   American Revolution 1777 George Washington sets up winter quarters in Morristown, NJ   Art, Literature and Film History 1975 “Wheel of Fortune” premieres 1975 More than 2,000 Led Zeppelin fans trash the Boston Garden   Crime 1994 Skater Nancy Kerrigan attacked   European History 1066 Harold II crowned king of England   Middle Ages 1412 Joan of Arc is born   Natural Disasters & Environment 1996 Blizzard of 1996 begins   U.S. Government and Politics 1912 New Mexico joins the Union 2001 Congress certifies George W. Bush winner of 2000 elections   U.S. Presidents 1759 Two future presidents marry respective sweethearts 1919 Theodore Roosevelt dies 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt speaks of Four Freedoms   Vietnam War 1971 Army drops charges of My Lai cover-up   World War II 1942 FDR commits to biggest arms buildup in U.S. history

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 07 1789 First U.S. presidential electors chosen Congress sets January 7, 1789 as the date by which states are required to choose electors for the country’s first-ever presidential election. A month later, on February 4, George Washington was elected president by state electors and sworn into office on April 30, 1789. As it did in 1789, the... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 21st Century 2015 12 people die in shooting at “Charlie Hebdo” offices   Art, Literature and Film History 1891 Zora Neale Hurston is born 1955 Marian Anderson becomes first African American to perform at the Met Opera   Cold War 1959 United States recognizes new Cuban government   Crime 1946 Serial killer with split-personality murders 6-year-old in Chicago   Exploration 1785 Two explorers cross the English Channel in a balloon   Natural Disasters & Environment 1892 Coal mine explodes in Oklahoma   Sports 1927 Harlem Globetrotters play their first game   U.S. Presidents 1953 President Truman announces U.S. has developed hydrogen bomb 1999 President Clinton’s impeachment trial begins   Vietnam War 1979 Pol Pot overthrown

[phkrause]

THIS DAY IN HISTORY January 08 1877 Crazy Horse fights last battle On January 8, 1877, Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse and his men—outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated weapons to defend themselves—fight their final losing battle against the U.S. Cavalry in Montana. Six months earlier, in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse and his...  read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1815 The Battle of New Orleans 1867 African American men gain the right to vote in Washington, D.C.   Art, Literature and Film History 1946 Elvis Presley receives his first guitar 1963 “Mona Lisa” exhibited in Washington 1976 “Ragtime” wins the National Book Critics Circle Award   Crime 1901 “Colorado Cannibal” Alfred Packer is paroled 2011 Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords injured in shooting rampage 2016 Infamous drug lord “El Chapo” is captured by Mexican authorities   Inventions & Science 1642 Astronomer Galileo dies in Italy   Latin American & Caribbean History 1959 Fidel Castro arrives in Havana after deposing Batista’s regime   Sports 1972 NCAA grants freshmen eligibility in football, basketball   U.S. Presidents 1790 President George Washington delivers first State of the Union 1918 President Wilson delivers “Fourteen Points” speech 1992 President George H.W. Bush vomits on the Prime Minister of Japan 2002 President George W. Bush signs No Child Left Behind Act into law   World War II 1940 Mussolini questions Hitler’s plans