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Historical Events
2012
2006
New Horizons launched on its nine-year journey to photograph Pluto for the first time
NASA's piano-sized spacecraft began the fastest journey ever taken by a human-made object, reaching 36,000 mph. When it finally reached Pluto in 2015,...
1995
A Russian rocket carrying scientific equipment was mistaken for a nuclear missile, nearly starting World War III
MajorNorway launched a research rocket to study the Northern Lights, but Russian radar detected it heading toward Moscow. President Boris Yeltsin activated...
1983
Apple's Lisa computer was unveiled, featuring the first commercial graphical user interface
Named after Steve Jobs' daughter, the Lisa was a commercial flop at $10,000 but revolutionized computing with its mouse-driven GUI and icons. Though i...
1981
The United States and Iran signed an agreement to release 52 American hostages after 444 days of captivity
MajorThe hostages, seized during the Iranian Revolution, were finally freed minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. Iran deliberately timed...
1977
Snow fell in Miami, Florida for the first and only time in recorded history
Floridians woke up to see snow flurries mixing with rain as temperatures dropped to 32°F. The bizarre weather event caused a traffic nightmare as resi...
1966
Indira Gandhi became the first female Prime Minister of India
MajorNehru's daughter shattered the glass ceiling in the world's largest democracy, serving as PM for 15 years across two terms. Her tenure was marked by b...
1944
The Soviet Red Army launched a massive offensive that permanently broke the Siege of Leningrad after 872 days
MajorThe longest and deadliest siege in modern history finally ended as Soviet forces pushed the Germans back. Over 1 million civilians had died from starv...
1937
Millionaire Howard Hughes set a transcontinental flight record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in 7 hours and 28 minutes
The eccentric aviator and filmmaker shattered the previous record in his H-1 Racer, averaging 332 mph. This was the same plane he'd later claim he fle...
1903
The first regular transatlantic radio broadcast was transmitted from President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII
Morse code signals traveled 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, taking several minutes to send Roosevelt's greetings to the British monarch. The me...
1853
Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Il Trovatore' premiered in Rome
One of the most performed operas in history debuted to wild acclaim, featuring the famous 'Anvil Chorus.' Verdi composed it in just 29 days while simu...
1840
Captain Charles Wilkes discovered the continent of Antarctica
The American explorer spotted the Antarctic coast during a four-year expedition, though he initially didn't realize it was a continent. He thought it...
1825
Ezra Cornell was born, the founder who would later establish Cornell University
The telegraph pioneer and businessman made his fortune stringing telegraph lines across America. He later donated his wealth to found Cornell Universi...
1809
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts
MajorThe master of macabre literature who would go on to write 'The Raven' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart' entered the world. He died under mysterious circumstan...