Today’s History
Today in History:
March 26th, 1979: The Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty is Signed
On this day in 1979, Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat alongside Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin signed a historic peace agreement, establishing diplomatic and economic relations. The signing of the treaty would signify an end to more than three decades of conflict between the two nations. The nations of Israel and Egypt had been fraught with…
March 25th, 1807: Britain Abolishes the Slave Trade Throughout Its Empire
On this day in 1807, King George III, King over the British Empire, signed into law legislation that effectively banned the slave trade within Britain’s domain. Despite these first steps taken by the British governance, the entire institution of slavery would not be abolished until the year 1833. During the period of 1791 to 1807…
March 24th, 1603: Tokugawa Ieyasu is Granted the Title of Shogun, Ruler of Japan
On this day in 1603, after decades of internal conflict and unrest within Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu is made Shogun over a united nation – brought about by the efforts of Japanese warlords Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as well as Tokugawa Ieyasu, himself. Ieyasu’s ascension to power would mark the beginning of more than 250 years…
March 23rd, 1903: The Wright Brothers File Their First Patent for the ‘Flying Machine’
On this day in 1903, the Wright Brothers, two American aviation pioneers, after having invented and designed the world’s first successful motor-operated airplane, applied for a patent on their device. The patent would not be awarded until three years later. Orville and Wilbur Wright began their exploration of a ‘flying machine’ after having honed in…
March 22nd, 1421: The Battle of Bauge
On this day in history, a French-Scottish army confronted English forces occupying Normandy. With France on the brink of collapse, this battle in the Hundred Years’ War was a pivotal moment during the events of the English occupation of France. The prelude of events leading up to the Battle of Bauge are best begun with…
March 21st, 1871: Henry Stanley Begins His Expedition Into Africa
On this day in 1871, Welsh-American journalist and explorer, Henry Stanley would begin his travels into the heart of the continent of Africa, searching for the missing explorer Dr. David Livingstone, who had gone missing several years earlier. Stanley’s journey through Africa would transform his career – eventually leading him to work alongside King Leopold…
March 20th, 2003: The United States Begin Their Land Invasion of Iraq
On this day in 2003, a coalition of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland began their land invasion of Iraq; both U.S. president George W. Bush and British prime minister Tony Blair had claimed that the Iraqi government was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. The end of major…
March 19th, 1911: International Women’s Day is First Recognized Around the Globe
On this day in 1911, more than one million men and women across Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland initiated demonstrations calling for women’s right to vote and hold office, as well as protesting against sex discrimination. This first International Women’s Day has shown itself to be a pivotal moment in the growing movement for gender…
March 18th, 1766: The British Parliament Votes to Repeal the Stamp Act
On this day in 1766, the British Parliament voted to repeal the Stamp Act which had been passed a year prior; enacted over the American colonies, the act had intended to raise revenue so as to pay off debts developed during the French and Indian War. Despite Parliament having revoked the law, its enactment had…
March 17th, 460 AD: The Death of Saint Patrick, Remembered as Saint Patrick’s Day
On this day in 460 AD, St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was believed to have passed away; a prevalent figure in Christianity, St. Patrick is recognized for his piety and teachings of Christianity throughout Ireland. The life of St. Patrick holds much mystery; records are generally derived from the Latin biographical texts ‘The…
March 16th, 1834: Charles Darwin Arrives in the Falkland Islands
On this day in 1834, Charles Darwin, aboard the HMS Beagle, would stop off at the Falkland Islands as a part of a five year voyage around the world, studying geology and natural history. His global voyage would result in some of Darwin’s most prominent theories, including the theory of natural selection. Charles Darwin, was…
March 15th, 44 BC: The Assassination of Julius Caesar
On this day in 44 BC, Julius Caesar, Dictator of Rome, was assassinated by members of the Roman senate intending to upheave and replace the state of absolute rule instituted by Caesar. The death of Caesar would put in place years of unrest and instability within the Roman Republic, eventually resulting in the ascension of…
March 14th, 1794: The Cotton Gin is Patented, Revitalizing the Institution of Slavery in the United States
On this day in 1794, Eli Whitney, an American inventor, patented the design of the cotton gin, a machine that would make the process of straining cotton from the plant far easier. Whitney’s product would produce adverse effects, revitalizing the institution of American slavery. Eli Whitney was born in the American state of Massachusetts. A…
March 13th, 1881: Alexander II of Russia is Assassinated
On this day in 1881, the Russian Czar, Alexander II, was assassinated whilst returning to the Winter Palace by Narodnaya Volya (a revolutionary organization founded on the beliefs of anti-autocracy). His assassination would give way to the institution of dramatic regression of Russian policy under his son, Alexander III, and grandson, Nicholas II. Alexander II…
March 12th, 538 AD: The First Siege of Rome Comes to an End
On this day in 538 AD, Byzantine forces, also recognized as the Eastern Roman Empire, were victorious in their defense of the city of Rome after over a year of siege from the Ostrogothic army led by their king, Vitiges. The siege and following conflict served to function in the Byzantine’s larger goal of reforming…
March 11th, 1942: General Douglas MacArthur is Ordered to Leave the Philippines After the Japanese Invasion
On this day in 1942, American military General McArthur, having been given orders by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, would escape from the Philippine island of Corregidor. His daring escape to Australia was necessitated by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and eventual takeover of its capital, Manila. McArthur’s escape would come to symbolize Allied perseverance…
March 10th, 1876: The First Ever Phone Call Is Made By Alexander Graham Bell
On this day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first ever telephone call, transmitting a call to his assistant, Thomas Watson. He would utter the first words spoken over an electrical line, “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.” Bell, born March 3, 1847, in Scotland, had, after completing primary schooling, originally…
March 9th, 1916: Germany Declares War Against Portugal
On this day in 1916, Germany declared war on the Republic of Portugal after Portuguese forces, united with the Allies, seized German ships in the harbor of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Portugal had initially maintained a position of neutrality at the beginning of the First World War. For over a year and a half…
March 8th, 1782: The Gnadenhutten Massacre
On this day in 1782, 160 Pennsylvania militiamen aligned with the revolutionary colonists of the American Revolution, captured and murdered 90 members of the Christian Lenape tribe of Ohio. Committed in the name of defending the American frontier, the massacre was one of many acts of violence committed against Native American tribes during the American…
March 7, 1965: March From Selma to Montgomery
On this day in 1965, a civil rights march led by SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) member William Hosea and SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) member John Lewis, crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, named after a white supremacist leader, and were chased down and beaten by police forces. The filmed event would take the nation…
March 6th, 1857: The Dred Scott Case is Decided by the US Supreme Court
On this day in 1857, the United States of America, through the ruling of the Supreme Court, made the claim that African Americans were not in any way citizens of the nation; instead they identified the black slave population as property to be bought and sold. The decision over the Dred Scott case, or otherwise…
March 5th, 1770: The Boston Massacre
On this day in 1770, a crowd of Bostonian citizens came into conflict with a lone British soldier on the now infamous King Street, as more soldiers arrived on the scene, the two groups became violent. The deaths that occurred produced an increase in anti-English sentiment, giving way to what we now know as the…
March 4th, 1522: Anne Boleyn Makes Her First Appearance at Court
On this day in history, Anne Boleyn would make her first appearance in the court of England, at the time headed by King Henry VIII, who was married to Catherine of Aragon. Anne Boleyn’s eventual marriage to Henry would give way to the separation between England and the Catholic Church. Believed to have been born…
March 3rd, 1877: Rutherford B. Hayes is Sworn in as US President, Giving Way to the End of Reconstruction
On this day in 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate for president, was privately sworn into the office of the presidency after a closely contested election. The election of Rutherford B. Hayes and the political deals made as a result would lead to the end of Reconstruction in the South. The Union victory of…
March 2nd, 1629: The English King Charles I Dissolves Parliament
On this day in 1629, the English King Charles I dismissed and dissolved Parliament for a second time since his ascension to the throne in 1625. After clashes over financial and religious policy, Charles decided to enact what he believed was within his royal capacity and rule as an individual monarch without the influence of…
March 1st, 1896: The Battle of Adwa
On this day in 1896, the nation of Ethiopia faced the Kingdom of Italy in the ultimate battle of the Italo-Ethiopian War. Fought for the control of Ethiopian territories, the Battle of Adwa would decide the fate of a people and their lands who had long been pursued by the imperialism of Europe. Conflict over…
February 28th, 1947: The February 28 Incident
On this day in 1947, a Taiwanese anti government uprising occurred after years of suppression and corruption orchestrated at the hands of the ruling Republic of China. The uprising was violently put down by authorities, giving way to 28 years of martial law. In the year of 1945, after the surrender of Japanese forces, Allied…
February 27th, 1933: The Reichstag Fire
On this day in 1933, the Reichstag, which was home to the German parliament, was set alite in the early evening of February 27th, resulting in considerable damage to the building. Occurring four weeks after the swearing in of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, Hitler’s government claimed the perpetrator of the crime to be…
February 26th, 1815: Napoleon Escapes His Imprisonment From the Island of Elba
On this day in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, former Emperor of France, escaped from his imprisonment on the Mediterranean island of Elba, where he had been detained after his defeat to a coalition of European nations. His escape would pave the way for the historic Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon Bonaparte grew to fame as a successful…
February 25th, 1570: The Excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I
On this day in 1570, Pope Pius V ordered the excommunication of the English Queen, Elizabeth I, on the basis of Elizabeth having committed heresy. Attempting to capitalize on the arrival of the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scot’s arrival in England, Pope Pius V released all English subjects from their loyalties to the Protestant Elizabeth…
February 24th, 1797: The Last Invasion of Britain Was Brought to an End
On this day in 1797, after two days of minor conflict, a small force of French soldiers, loyal to the revolutionary French government, were forced to surrender after attempting to ally with Irish forces in a takeover of Britain. The uncoordinated and lackluster attack was the last attempted invasion of Britain. The invasion had occurred…
February 23rd, 1836: The 13 Day Battle of the Alamo Begins
On this day in 1836, Mexican forces laid siege to an American garrison located in the Alamo in Texas. This battle would be one of multiple conflicts that occurred in the Texas Revolution; the American takeover of Texian territory previously belonging to Mexico. By the 1820’s, westward expansion had brought thousands of American immigrants and…
February 22nd, 1632: Galileo’s “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” is Published
On this day in 1632, Galileo, an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, published his book, a scientific study, comparing the Copernican system and the more traditional Ptolemaic system relating to the function of our Solar System. The book would cause much controversy and produce accusations of heresy from the Catholic Church. Galileo grew to prominence…
February 21st, 1431: The Interrogation and Trial of Joan of Arc
On this day in the 15th Century, Joan of Arc, remembered as a French Hero for her role in aiding France during the Hundred Years War, was captured by Burgundian forces (French lords allied with the English) and subject to interrogation over claims of heresy. Her imprisonment and interrogation would span multiple days, resulting in…
February 20th, 1938: Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary of Britain, Resigns From Under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
On this day in 1938, prominent English politician and foreign secretary under Neville Chamberlain, Anthony Eden, resigns from his position in protest of Chamberlain’s attempted appeasement of Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini. For years after the fact, Eden’s resignation would be mistaken as a disagreement over the pursued appeasement of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Born in…
February 19th, 1942: President FDR Orders the Internment of all Japanese, German, and Italian Americans
On this day in 1942, in the midst of WWII, American president Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order that authorized the detainment and internment of all Japanese, German, and Italian Americans. Although the order specified all three groups, it became obvious that Japanese Americans were the prime target of the order. The executive order, also…
February 18th, 1861: Jefferson Davis is Inaugurated as President of the Confederate States
On this day in 1861, the southern political figure and plantation owner was certified as the leader of the Confederate States. His election and inauguration gave way to an eerie truth; America was headed for Civil War. Davis was a member of the Antebellum era Democratic Party, he served as both a member in the…
February 17th, 1461: The Second Battle of St. Albans Occurs During the War of the Roses
On this day in 1461, York forces under the command of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, set up in opposition to the Lancastrian march southward under the lead of Margaret of Anjou, wife to King Henry VI. This singular battle was but one smaller conflict in a much larger war that would come to be…
February 16th, 1959: Fidel Castro is Sworn In as Prime Minister of Cuba
On the 16th of February, in 1959, the left-wing revolutionary Fidel Castro, after overthrowing the right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista, was sworn in as the new prime minister of Cuba. His rise to power would give way to Cuban support of Communist uprisings around the globe, eventually leading to conflict with the United States. Born in…
February 15th, 399 BCE: Socrates Stands Trial and is Found Guilty
On this day in 399 BCE, the Athenian Philosopher Socrates was found guilty on charges of impiety (refusing to acknowledge the gods of Athens) and corruption of the youth. A majority of 500 jurors found Socrates guilty and he was sentenced to death. Socrates, believed to have been born in 470 BCE, was an Athenian…
February 14th, 1076: Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV is Excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII
On this day in 1076, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV was excommunicated on the basis of his appointing churchmen and clerics in disregard of Pope Gregory VII. In Pope Gregory’s attempt to eliminate corruption from the Catholic Church, he chose to respond to Henry IV’s disobedience with excommunication, the first of two excommunications for the…
February 13th, 1258: Mongol Forces Enter and Sack Baghdad, Bringing an End to the Islamic Golden Age
On the 13th of February, 1258, after a 13 day long siege, Mongol forces under the lead of Hulagu Khan, brother to Khagan (Imperial ruler) Mongke Khan, would sack the city of Baghdad. The entrance of Mongol forces into the capital city of the Islamic Empire would have disastrous effects on both the city’s people…
February 12th, 1912: The Last Emperor of China Abdicates the Throne
On this day in 1912, the last emperor of China and last member of the Qing Dynasty, six year old Hsian-T’ung, was forced to abdicate after the republican revolution grew in opposition to the Qing Dynasty. The abdication would give way to the eventual rise of the Republic of China, initially led by the Chinese…
February 11th, 1945: With Allied Victory In Sight, FDR, Churchill and Stalin Meet at the Yalta Conference
On this day in 1945, President Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, and Joseph Stalin of the USSR met in Yalta, on the Crimean peninsula. The three leaders would attend the conference with the end of the Second World War in sight, intent on planning the reorganization of post-war…
February 10th, 1840: Queen Victoria Marries Prince Albert
On February 10th in the year 1840, a 20 year old Queen Victoria, proposed to and married a 20 year old Albert, prince of the German duchy, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The matrimony was not only a momentous affair in it being the unity of two states, but the children of Victoria and Albert would change…
February 9th, 1886: US President Grover Cleveland Declares Martial Law In Seattle
On this day in history, Grover Cleveland declared martial law in Seattle after a mob gathered, angered by intense labor competition, with the intent of finding out and expelling Chinese laborers from America. The violence would end when the mob, affiliated with the Knights of Labor, clashed with federal troops. Originally on February 7th, a…
February 8th, 1587: The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
On this day in 1587, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, former monarch of Scotland from 1542-1567, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle at the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was Mary’s cousin. Mary, Queen of Scots, was born to Mary of Guise and James V of Scotland. Her father, James V, was…
February 7th, 1783: The Great Siege of Gibraltar is Lifted
On the 7th of February of 1783, French and Spanish forces began peace talks with the British defenders of Gibraltar, located on the Iberian Peninsula on the southern coast of Spain in the Strait of Gibraltar. The siege had lasted 3 years and 8 months, initially begun by Spanish and French forces to aid the…
February 6th, 1840: The Treaty of Waitangi is Signed
On February 6th of 1840, a treaty, authored by the British and signed by British representatives alongside the Maori chiefs of northern New Zealand, was certified. The treaty allowed the British to claim sovereignty over the indigenous people, but provided the Maori chiefs and their people ownership of their lands and resources, as well as…
February 5th, 1885: The Congo is Established Under King Leopold II of Belgium’s Rule
On this day in history, during the Berlin Conference, designated for the discussion of African affairs, King Leopold II of Belgium was recognized as sovereign over much of the territory of the Congo. The Congo was established under Leopold’s personal rule, enforced by his private army, the Force Publique. The area he acquired was 76…
February 4th, 1789: George Washington is Elected as President of the United States
On this day in February of 1789, a delegation of electors, chosen by 10 states, voted to elect George Washington by a majority of 69 electoral votes. John Adams, another renowned leader of the American Revolution, won 34 votes, making him George Washington’s Vice President. George Washington, best known as the first president of the…
February 3rd, 1509: The Battle of Diu
On this day in 1509, a fleet of Portuguese ships aided by the Kingdom of Cochin defeated a coalition of Calicut, Gujarat, and Mamluk forces to win control of trade in the Indian Ocean. This victory would result in European dominance of trade for the next 100 years. By the early 1500’s, Portugal had gained…
February 2nd, 1990: Ban on the African National Congress is Lifted
On this day in 1990, South African president F.W. de Klerk, a member of the National Party, lifted the ban on the African National Congress, the South African political party that fought for desegregation and equal rights for black citizens. The lifting of this ban would result in Nelson Mandela’s release from prison. The African…
February 1st, 1884: The First Portion of the “Oxford English Dictionary” is Published
It was on this day that the work of James Murray, the editor of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), and William Chester Minor, a former member of the Union army and psychiatric ward patient, came into fruition. In the year 1857, a group called the The Philological Society of London (Philological meaning the study of…
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