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1917 Germany resumes submarine warfare On January 31, 1917, Germany announces the renewal of unlimited submarine warfare in the Atlantic, and...
1948 Gandhi assassinated Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, is assassinated in...
1936 U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown,...
1986 Challenger disaster At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa...
1888 National Geographic Society founded On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for “the increase...
1934 Sam Goldwyn buys rights to The Wizard of Oz One of America’s best-loved movie projects gets underway on this day in 1934, when the producer...
1905 World’s largest diamond found On January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during...
1935 First canned beer goes on sale Canned beer makes its debut on this day in 1935. In partnership with the American Can Company, the Gottfried...
1957 Toy company Wham-O produces first Frisbees On this day in 1957, machines at the Wham-O toy company roll out the first batch of their...
1973 Roe v. Wade Roe v. Wade was a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s legal right to an abortion. The Court ruled,...
Old West 1855 Gun designer John Browning is born John Moses Browning, sometimes referred to as the “father of modern firearms,” is born in Ogden,...
1981 Iran Hostage Crisis ends Minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at...
1977 Ford pardons Tokyo Rose On this day in 1977, President Gerald R. Ford pardons Tokyo Rose. Although the nickname originally referred to...
1778 Cook discovers Hawaii On January 18, 1778, the English explorer Captain James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian...
1953 Corvette unveiled at GM Motorama On this day in 1953, a prototype Chevrolet Corvette sports car makes its debut at General Motors’ (GM)...
2013 Pauline Phillips, the original Dear Abby, dies at 94 On this day in 2013, Pauline Phillips, who for more than 40 years wrote the “Dear Abby”...
1777 New Connecticut (Vermont) declares independence Having recognized the need for their territory to assert its independence from both Britain...
1875 Albert Schweitzer born The theologian, musician, philosopher and Nobel Prize-winning physician Albert Schweitzer is born on this day in 1875...
1962 Comedian killed in Corvair crash On this day in 1962, Ernie Kovacs, a comedian who hosted his own television shows during the 1950s and is...
1908 Theodore Roosevelt makes Grand Canyon a national monument On January 11, 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declares the massive Grand...
1901 Gusher signals start of U.S. oil industry On this day in 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an...
1776 Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his...
1877 Crazy Horse fights last battle On this day in 1877, Crazy Horse and his warriors–outnumbered, low on ammunition and forced to use outdated...
1789 First U.S. presidential election On this day in 1789, America’s first presidential election is held. Voters cast ballots to choose state...
1798 Mountain man Jedediah Smith is born Jedediah Strong Smith, one of America’s greatest trapper-explorers, is born in Bainbridge, New York....
1933 Construction begins on Golden Gate Bridge On this day in 1933, construction starts on what will become one of America’s most famous...
1796 Congress accepts Colors of the French Republic On this day in 1796, the House of Representatives accepts the Colors, or flag, of the French...
1834 Stephen Austin imprisoned by Mexicans Escalating the tensions that would lead to rebellion and war, the Mexican government imprisons the...
1923 Secretary Fall resigns in Teapot Dome scandal Albert Fall, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior, resigns in response to public...
45 B.C. New Year’s Day In 45 B.C., New Year’s Day is celebrated on January 1 for the first time in history as the Julian calendar takes effect....
1999 Panama Canal turned over to Panama On this day in 1999, the United States, in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, officially hands...
1903 Fire breaks out in Chicago theater A fire in the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois, kills more than 600 people on this day in 1903. It...
1890 U.S. Army massacres Indians at Wounded Knee On this day in 1890, in the final chapter of America’s long Indian wars, the U.S. Cavalry kills...
1895 First commercial movie screened On this day in 1895, the world’s first commercial movie screening takes place at the Grand Cafe in Paris....
1932 Radio City Music Hall opens At the height of the Great Depression, thousands turn out for the opening of Radio City Music Hall, a...
2004 Tsunami wreaks havoc on Southeast Asia On the day after Christmas in 2004, a massive undersea earthquake occurs just off the coast of...
Christ is born? Although most Christians celebrate December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, few in the first two Christian centuries claimed...
1814 War of 1812 ends The Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America is signed by British and...
1888 Van Gogh chops off ear On this day in 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his...
1884 John Chisum dies in Arkansas A central player in the violent Lincoln County War of 1878-81, the cattleman John Chisum dies at Eureka...
