The Tonga volcano erupted with the force of 100 Hiroshima bombs and was heard 6,000 miles away
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano produced the largest atmospheric explosion in recorded history, creating a mushroom cloud reaching 36...
Historical Events
2022
2009
US Airways Flight 1549 successfully landed on the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese
MajorCaptain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger saved all 155 passengers and crew by ditching the powerless Airbus A320 in the frigid river just minutes after ta...
2005
The Huygens probe became the first spacecraft to land on a moon in the outer solar system
After a seven-year journey, the European Space Agency's probe touched down on Saturn's moon Titan, sending back the first images of its mysterious sur...
2001
Wikipedia was launched as a free online encyclopedia that anyone could edit
MajorCreated by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, the site started with just one article and has grown to over 60 million articles in 300 languages. Despite co...
1985
A computer hacker was arrested for breaking into military networks using a telephone and a modem
The teenage hacker had accessed sensitive military and corporate systems from his bedroom, downloading classified information. His case helped establi...
1973
President Nixon announced the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam
MajorThe announcement effectively ended direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War after nearly two decades. A ceasefire agreement would be signed...
1967
The first Super Bowl was played between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs
MajorThe Packers won 35-10 in a game that wasn't even sold out, with 30,000 empty seats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Tickets cost between $6 and $...
1943
The Pentagon was officially completed as the world's largest office building
Built in just 16 months during World War II, the five-sided building used enough concrete to pave a highway from Washington to Cincinnati. It contains...
1929
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia
MajorBorn Michael King Jr., his father later changed both their names to Martin Luther after the Protestant reformer. He would grow up to become the most p...
1908
The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority was founded as the first Greek-letter organization for African American women
Nine students at Howard University in Washington D.C. created the organization to promote academic excellence and service. It has since grown to over...
1892
Dr. James Naismith published the rules of basketball for the first time
MajorThe Canadian physical education instructor had invented the game just a month earlier using peach baskets and a soccer ball. His original 13 rules wer...
1870
A donkey was used as the Democratic Party symbol for the first time in a political cartoon
Cartoonist Thomas Nast published a cartoon in Harper's Weekly showing a donkey kicking a dead lion, representing the Democrats. Though meant as an ins...
1759
The British Museum first opened its doors to the public in London
MajorOriginally based on the collection of physician Sir Hans Sloane, it became the world's first national public museum. Visitors had to apply in writing...
1559
Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey
MajorThe 25-year-old Elizabeth took the throne after her half-sister Mary I's death, beginning what would become known as the Elizabethan Era. Her 44-year...