On this day in 1918, the Bolsheviks killed Elisabeth of Russia, who was a member of the imperial family. A day before Elisabeth's execution, her sister Empress Alexandra, Alexandra's husband Nicholas II, and their children (Grand Duchess Olga, Grand...
This day in 1488 marked the death of Alvise Cadamosto, who became famous for his voyages in the Portuguese service to Africa. His voyages were very important because he discovered the maritime route to India and other parts of Asia. Alvise Cadamosto...
On this day, Nazi Germany tested an aircraft with a revolutionary engine. Unlike the previous propeller-powered aircraft, the new Messerschmitt Me-262 had jet engines. A jet (turbo jet) engine can achieve significantly higher speed and greater thrust...
On this day in 1730, French Marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy died. He was one of the most prominent aristocrats throughout France in the time of Louis XIV (the Sun King). Indeed, duc de Villeroy used to play with Louis XIV as a child be...
On this day General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., who was the highest ranking U.S. officer killed in action during World War II, was born. Specifically, General Buckner was a three-star general, the same rank the famous General George S. Patton held un...
On this day in 1918, the Bolsheviks killed the last Russian emperor Nicholas II, and his numerous family. In 1917, Nicholas II abdicated on its own behalf, and on behalf of his son Alexei Nikolaevich, who suffered from hemophilia (due to that disorde...
On this day the famous Hundred Years’ War between England and France finally ended. One of the longest wars in history lasted not only for 100, but as many as 116 years, from 1337 till 1453, fortunately not constantly, but with longer or shorter bre...
On this day, in 1794, Carmel Martyrs of Compiègne were executed by guillotine. They were members of the Barefoot Carmelites of Mount Carmel, founded by the famous Saint Teresa of Ávila (also called Saint Teresa of Jesus). These sisters, acting in C...
Ernst Busch was the highest-ranking officer of the Wehrmacht who died in a prisoner of war camp in England. Aldershot is located in the English county of Hampshire, approximately halfway between London and the famous port city of Southampton on the s...
On this day in 1946, the Yugoslav communist authorities executed the famous Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović. Four months before Mihailović's execution, the Partisans captured him near Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Trial of Draža Mihailović e...
Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq on this day in 1979. He was born in the village of Al-Awja on the Tigris River (in 2003, he was arrested just a few kilometers from his native village). His mother gave him the name of Saddam, which means “one...
On this day in 1994, the first fragments of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter. It was a spectacular astronomical event because scientists on Earth had the opportunity to observe the collision of two Solar System bodies for the first ti...
On this day in 1862, an admiral's rank was awarded for the first time in the history of the United States. It was created for famous David Farragut, a hero of the U.S. Navy. Note that, until then, the rank of an admiral was never used in the U.S., in...
The first hijacking of a commercial aircraft in history was carried out on this day in 1948. It was the aircraft named Miss Macao, registered in Hong Kong. Miss Macao was actually a seaplane, with two propeller engines and a wingspan of about 30 mete...
On this day in 1965, the tunnel under the Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, was officially opened. The ceremony was attended by the French president Charles de Gaulle and the President of Italy, Giuseppe Saragat. At the time of its opening, i...
René of Chalon, the first Dutch statesman who held the title of Prince of the Principality of Orange (present-day France), died on this day in 1544. The Principality of Orange was named after the city of Orange, located in the southern part of France...
The famous Rosetta Stone, which enabled the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphic script, was found on this day in 1799 and certainly belongs among the most important archaeological discoveries of all time. It is interesting that the stone was discove...
On this day one of the greatest military leaders in history, the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte finally surrendered. His previous surrender in 1814, when he ended up on the island of Elba, was not definitive because Napoleon managed to restore his...
On this day, in 1606, the famous painter Rembrandt was born. The full form of his name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, where "Rembrandt" is a personal name, "Harmenszoon" was after his father (who was named Harmen) and "van Rijn" is a surname. A...
On this day, in 1940, the tallest man in recorded history of mankind, Robert Wadlow, died. Namely, that American has reached the height of 272 cm before he died, which is the highest irrefutable human height to date. In fact, at a time when Wadlow di...
On this day, in 1614, significant saint who was particularly dedicated to caring for the sick and wounded - St. Camillus de Lellis, died. His own experience from war and of being wounded, led him to establish an order within the Catholic Church that...
On this day in 1965 the Mariner 4 space probe made the first flyby of the planet Mars and took close up photographs of the planet that were then sent to Earth. It was the first time in history that a human probe captured images of another planet. Mar...
This day is a national holiday in France because it commemorates the events which symbolically marked the beginning of the French Revolution. To be precise, the Paris fortress-prison Bastille was attacked on that day. Despite heroic stories that wer...
On this day, in 1902, the famous St Mark's Campanile in Venice collapsed. It was a disaster, considering the importance and the age of the tower, which was about 1000 years old at the time. Today’s St Mark's Campanile, which can be seen in Venice, i...
On this day in 1913 Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was born. He is particularly interesting for his longevity because he was the longest-lived of all previous United States presidents. In fact, Ford died at the age of 93 years,...
The first World Cup began on this day in 1930. It took place in the relatively small South American country of Uruguay because the Uruguayan national football team won the gold at the 1928 Summer Olympics. This country was also celebrating the centen...
On this day in 1807, Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart, Duke of York, died. He was the last member of the British royal dynasty Stuart, which once ruled England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. During the Glorious Revolution of 1688, British king James II...
On this day in 1962, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan sacked seven members of his cabinet. It was the largest dismissal of Ministers in such a short time in British political history. Prime Minister Macmillan replaced his ministers mostly with...
A very dramatic event in the history of Scotland took place on this day. The British were able to capture the Scottish King William I, known under the nickname "The Lion”, during the Battle of Alnwick. This king was notable for his headstrong charact...
On this day in 1970, U.S. General Leslie Groves died. He had a major role during World War II as a project manager in constructing the first US nuclear bomb (the Manhattan Project). General Groves was actually a military engineer officer, and before...
