America Online announced it would purchase Time Warner for $165 billion
This merger was hailed as a visionary combination of old and new media. Instead, it became one of the worst corporate mergers in history, destroying o...
Historical Events
2000
1984
The Vatican and the United States established full diplomatic relations for the first time
After 117 years without formal ties, President Reagan and Pope John Paul II agreed to exchange ambassadors. The US had avoided this relationship due t...
1966
Batman premiered on ABC television, launching the campy superhero craze
The show starring Adam West and Burt Ward became an instant pop culture phenomenon with its colorful camp aesthetic and 'POW!' graphics. It aired twic...
1949
Vinyl records were released for the first time by RCA Victor
RCA introduced the 45 RPM vinyl record as a competitor to Columbia's 33⅓ RPM LP. The 'battle of the speeds' ensued, with both formats eventually coexi...
1946
The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly took place in London
MajorFifty-one nations gathered at Westminster Central Hall for this historic first session. The UN was created to prevent another world war and promote in...
1929
Tintin made his first appearance in a Belgian comic supplement
The young reporter and his dog Snowy debuted in 'Tintin in the Land of the Soviets' in Le Petit Vingtième. Creator Hergé would go on to publish 24 alb...
1927
Fritz Lang's groundbreaking science fiction film 'Metropolis' premiered in Berlin
This silent film depicted a dystopian future city and cost over 5 million Reichsmarks, making it the most expensive silent film ever made. Despite ini...
1920
The League of Nations held its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
MajorThe first international organization dedicated to maintaining world peace convened for the first time. Despite US President Woodrow Wilson's efforts t...
1901
The first major oil strike in Texas launched the state's petroleum industry
The Spindletop gusher near Beaumont erupted, shooting oil over 150 feet into the air for nine days. The well produced 100,000 barrels per day, more th...
1870
John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil Company, which would control 90% of US oil
Starting with $1 million in capital, Rockefeller built an empire through ruthless business practices and vertical integration. At its peak, Standard O...
1863
The London Underground opened as the world's first underground railway
MajorThe Metropolitan Railway began operating between Paddington and Farringdon Street, stretching 3.75 miles. On opening day, around 30,000 passengers rod...
1812
The largest documented earthquake in US history began shaking the Mississippi Valley
This was the first of three massive New Madrid earthquakes that struck over two months, estimated at magnitude 7.5-7.9. The quakes were so powerful th...
1776
Thomas Paine published 'Common Sense,' the pamphlet that convinced Americans to declare independence
MajorThis 47-page pamphlet became an instant bestseller, selling over 500,000 copies in colonial America. Paine's passionate arguments against monarchy and...