THIS DAY IN HISTORY

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January 18th 1919 Post-World War I peace conference begins in Paris   On this day in Paris, France, some of the most powerful people in the world meet to begin the long, complicated negotiations that would officially mark the end of the First World War. Leaders of the victorious Allied powers–France, Great Britain, the United States and Italy–would make... read more »

American Revolution

1776

Georgia's royal governor is arrested »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1882

A.A. Milne is born »

1975

"Mandy" is Barry Manilow's first #1 pop hit »

1985

Coen brothers release debut film, Blood Simple »

Civil War

1862

John Tyler dies »

Cold War

1985

United States walks out of World Court case »

Crime

1990

Barry arrested on drug charges »

Disaster

1969

Heavy rain leads to landslides in Southern California »

General Interest

1778

Cook discovers Hawaii »

1912

Scott reaches the South Pole »

Inventions & Science

2009

GM auctions off historic cars »

Presidential

1803

Jefferson requests funding for Lewis and Clark expedition »

1919

Wilson attends Paris Peace Conference »

Sports

1958

NHL is integrated »

Vietnam War

1950

China and Soviet Union recognize Democratic Republic of Vietnam »

1971

McGovern begins his presidential campaign »

Westward Expansion

1803

Jefferson requests funds for Lewis and Clark »

World War I

1919

Peace conference opens in Paris »

World War II

1943

Germans resume deportations from Warsaw to Treblinka »

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January 19th 1809 Edgar Allan Poe is born   On this day in 1809, poet, author and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe is born in Boston, Massachusetts. By the time he was three years old, both of Poe's parents had died, leaving him in the care of his godfather, John Allan, a wealthy tobacco merchant. After attending school in England, Poe entered... read more »

American Revolution

1764

John Wilkes expelled from Parliament »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1921

Patricia Highsmith is born »

1993

Fleetwood Mac reunite to play "Don't Stop" at Bill Clinton's first Inaugural gala »

1993

Production begins on Toy Story »

Civil War

1807

Robert E. Lee born »

1862

Battle of Logan's Crossroads »

Cold War

1950

Communist China recognizes North Vietnam »

Crime

1999

Man charged in California cyberstalking case »

Disaster

1883

Fog leads to deadly collision in North Sea »

General Interest

1840

Wilkes claims portion of Antarctica for U.S. »

1966

Indira Gandhi becomes Indian prime minister »

1983

Butcher of Lyons arrested in Bolivia »

Inventions & Science

2007

First McDonald's drive-through opens in Beijing »

Presidential

1977

Ford pardons Tokyo Rose »

Sports

1974

Notre Dame beats UCLA to end 88-game winning streak »

Vietnam War

1961

Eisenhower cautions successor about Laos »

1968

Operation McLain is launched »

Westward Expansion

1847

Mexican rebels kill Charles Bent »

World War I

1915

First air raid on Britain »

World War II

1941

British attack Italians in Africa »

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January 20th 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 the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, outraged that the... read more »

American Revolution

1777

Battle of Millstone, New Jersey »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1961

Robert Frost reads at JFK's inauguration »

1973

Country star Jerry Lee Lewis rocks the Grand Ole Opry »

1993

Actress Audrey Hepburn dies »

Civil War

1863

Mud March begins »

Cold War

1949

Truman announces Point Four program »

Crime

1974

Football player-turned-murderer born »

Disaster

1980

Bullfight spectators die when bleachers collapse »

General Interest
1841
Hong Kong ceded to the British »
1945
FDR inaugurated to fourth term »
1961
John F. Kennedy inaugurated »
1987
Terry Waite disappears »
1996
Arafat elected leader of Palestine »

Inventions & Science

1909

GM takes an interest in Oakland Motor Car Corp. »

Presidential

1937

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is sworn in as president »

2009

Barack Obama is inaugurated »

2017

Donald Trump is inaugurated »

Sports

1980

President Carter calls for Olympics to be moved from Moscow »

Vietnam War

1969

Richard Nixon takes office »

1972

New communist offensive anticipated »

Westward Expansion

1981

Ronald Reagan becomes president »

World War I

1918

Goeben and Breslau battle the Allies in the Aegean »

World War II

1942

The Wannsee Conference »

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January 21st 1977 President Carter pardons draft dodgers   On this day in 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War. In total, some 100,000 young Americans went abroad in the late 1960s and early 70s to avoid serving in the war. Ninety percent went to Canada... read more »

American Revolution

1738

Ethan Allen is born »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1957

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts introduce America to Patsy Cline »

1985

Don DeLillo's White Noise wins the American Book Award »

1998

Hilary Swank moves on »

Civil War

1863

First Battle of Sabine Pass »

Cold War

1950

Alger Hiss convicted of perjury »

Crime

1959

Switzer of Our Gang murdered »

Disaster

1996

Ferry sinks off Indonesian coast »

General Interest
1793
King Louis XVI executed »
1924
Vladimir Lenin dies »
1976
Concorde takes off »
2017
Women's March »

Inventions & Science

2009

Toyota officially passes GM as planet's biggest car maker »

Presidential

1977

Carter pardons draft dodgers »

Sports

1990

John McEnroe disqualified from the Australian Open »

Vietnam War

1968

Battle for Khe Sanh begins »

Westward Expansion

1855

Gun designer John Browning is born »

World War I

1924

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin dies »

World War II

1867

General Weygand is born »

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January 22nd 1998 Ted Kaczynski pleads guilty to bombings   On this day in 1998, in a Sacramento, California, courtroom, Theodore J. Kaczynski pleads guilty to all federal charges against him, acknowledging his responsibility for a 17-year campaign of package bombings attributed to the "Unabomber." Born in 1942, Kaczynski attended Harvard University and... read more »

American Revolution

1779

Claudius Smith, "Cowboy of the Ramapos," hangs »

Art, Literature, and Film History
1788
George Gordon, Lord Byron, is born »
1981
Final portrait of John and Yoko is on the cover of Rolling Stone »
2008
Heath Ledger dies of accidental prescription drug overdose »
2010
Conan O'Brien makes final appearance as "Tonight Show" host »

Civil War

1927

John McCausland dies »

Cold War

1982

Reagan links arms talks with Soviets to oppression in Poland »

Crime

1973

Roe v. Wade »

Disaster

1973

Plane crashes at Nigerian airport »

General Interest
1840
British colonists reach New Zealand »
1901
Queen Victoria dies »
1905
First Russian Revolution begins »
1973
Supreme Court legalizes abortion »
1980
Sakharov arrested in Moscow »

Inventions & Science

2009

"Gran Torino" opens Down Under »

Presidential

1973

Lyndon Baines Johnson dies in Texas »

Sports

1973

Foreman beats Frazier to win heavyweight title in Jamaica »

Vietnam War

1964

U.S. Joint Chiefs foresee larger U.S. commitment »

1968

Operations Jeb Stuart and Pershing II kick off »

Westward Expansion

1879

Chief Dull Knife makes last fight for freedom »

World War I

1905

Bloody Sunday Massacre in Russia »

World War II

1941

Brits and Australians take Tobruk »

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January 23rd 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 aerodynamic plastic discs–now known to millions of fans all over the world as Frisbees. The story of the Frisbee began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where William Frisbie opened the Frisbie Pie Company... read more »

American Revolution

1775

London merchants petition for reconciliation with America »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1930

Derek Walcott is born »

1976

Singer, actor, athlete, activist Paul Robeson dies »

1983

The A-Team debuts on NBC »

Civil War

1865

Hood removed from command »

Cold War

1968

North Korea seizes U.S. ship Pueblo »

Crime

1991

Videotaped murder leads to convictions in Texas »

Disaster

1556

Deadliest earthquake in history rocks China »

General Interest
1849
First woman M.D. »
1922
Insulin injection aids diabetic patient »
1968
USS Pueblo captured »
1997
Albright sworn in as secretary of state »

Inventions & Science

2006

"Who Killed the Electric Car?" debuts »

Presidential

1937

FDR writes letter to Baseball Writer's Association »

1992

Bush Sr. honors Women's World Cup soccer champions »

Sports

1984

Hulk Hogan beats Iron Sheik to win first WWF title »

Vietnam War

1973

Nixon announces peace settlement reached in Paris »

Westward Expansion

1870

Soldiers massacre the wrong camp of Indians »

World War I

1920

Netherlands refuses to extradite Kaiser Wilhelm to the Allies »

World War II

1941

Lindbergh to Congress: Negotiate with Hitler »

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January 24th 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 Krueger Brewing Company delivered 2,000 cans of Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale to faithful Krueger drinkers in Richmond, Virginia. Ninety-one percent of the drinkers approved... read more »

American Revolution

1781

Light Horse and Swamp Fox raid Georgetown, South Carolina »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1862

Edith Wharton is born »

1967

Aretha Franklin's career is reborn »

2006

Walt Disney announces $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar »

Civil War

1865

Confederate Congress to resume prisoner exchanges »

Cold War

1980

U.S. announces military equipment sales to China »

Crime

1956

Emmett Till murderers make magazine confession »

Disaster

1939

Chile suffers killer quake »

General Interest

1908

Boy Scouts movement begins »

1965

Winston Churchill dies »

1972

Japanese soldier found hiding on Guam »

Inventions & Science

1871

Albert Erskine, Studebaker chief, is born »

Presidential

1970

Nixon honors Eugene Ormandy »

Sports

1981

Mike Bossy scores 50th goal in 50 NHL games »

Vietnam War

1966

Operation Masher/White Wing/Thang Phong II launched »

1973

Truce is expected in Laos and Cambodia »

Westward Expansion

1848

Gold discovered at Sutter's Creek »

World War I

1915

British and German navies battle at the Dogger Bank »

World War II

1943

Von Paulus to Hitler: Let us surrender! »

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January 25th 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 a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan," it was the largest diamond ever found. Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's ... read more »

American Revolution

1776

First national memorial is ordered by Congress »

Art, Literature, and Film History

1759

Robert Burns' birthday »

1949

Inaugural Emmy awards ceremony »

1980

Paul McCartney is released from a Tokyo jail and deported from Japan »

Civil War

1863

Burnside relieved of command »

Cold War

1956

Khrushchev declares that Eisenhower is "striving for peace" »

Crime

2005

BTK killer sends message »

Disaster

1968

Israeli sub vanishes »

General Interest
1924
First Winter Olympics »
1971
Manson and followers convicted »
1981
Mao's widow sentenced to death »
1995
Near launching of Russian nukes »

Inventions & Science

2003

Italian auto baron Gianni Agnelli dies »

Presidential

1961

Kennedy holds first live television news conference »

Sports

1924

First Winter Olympics begin in Chamonix, France »

Vietnam War

1969

First plenary session of the formal Paris Peace talks is held »

1972

Nixon reveals information about secret negotiations »

Westward Expansion

1869

Pat Garrett leaves Louisiana »

World War I

1919

Formal commission is established on the League of Nations »

World War II

1942

Thailand declares war on the United States and England »

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January 26th 1788 Australia Day   On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare. Australia... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1779

Engagement at Burke County Jail »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1934

Sam Goldwyn buys rights to The Wizard of Oz »

1962

"The Twist" ends record-setting run »

2006

Oprah Winfrey takes James Frey to task for lying »

CIVIL WAR

1863

Joseph Hooker takes over the Army of the Potomac »

COLD WAR

1980

U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games »

CRIME

1788

First Australian penal colony established »

1936

So-called Mad Butcher terrorizes Cleveland »

DISASTER

1974

Cyclone Wanda causes flooding in Australia »

GENERAL INTEREST
1500
Pinzon discovers Brazil »
1838
Tennessee passes nation's first prohibition law »
1939
Franco captures Barcelona »
1950
Republic of India born »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1979

"The Dukes of Hazzard" premieres »

PRESIDENTIAL

1961

Kennedy appoints first female presidential physician »

2005

Bush appoints Rice as secretary of state »

SPORTS

1986

Bears beat Patriots in Super Bowl XX »

VIETNAM WAR

1970

POW spends 2,000th day in captivity »

1972

North Vietnam rejects U.S. peace proposal »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1875

Pinkertons maim Frank and Jesse James' mother »

WORLD WAR I

1918

Ukraine declares its independence »

WORLD WAR II

1945

Audie Murphy wounded »

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January 27th 1888 National Geographic Society founded   On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for "the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge." The 33 men who originally met and formed the National Geographic Society were a diverse group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1785

Georgia incorporates the first state university »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY
1302
Dante is exiled from Florence »
1970
John Lennon writes and records "Instant Karma" in a single day »
2004
Thirteen-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes nominated for Best Actress Oscar »
2010
"The Catcher in the Rye" author J.D. Salinger dies »

CIVIL WAR

1862

Lincoln orders armies to advance »

COLD WAR

1973

U.S. officially ends participation in a Cold War conflict »

CRIME

1978

The so-called Dracula killer »

DISASTER

2002

Explosions trigger deadly panic in Nigeria »

GENERAL INTEREST
1926
Baird demonstrates TV »
1967
Astronauts die in launch pad fire »
1975
Senate investigation of FBI and CIA activities begins »
1991
Somali dictator flees »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1965

Shelby GT 350 debuts »

PRESIDENTIAL

1943

Reagan serves in film unit »

SPORTS

1996

Monica Seles wins first Grand Slam title since being attacked »

VIETNAM WAR

1967

Donald Evans earns Medal of Honor »

1973

Paris Peace Accords signed »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1951

First atomic detonation at the Nevada test site »

WORLD WAR I

1918

Workers prepare to strike in Germany »

WORLD WAR II

1943

Americans bomb Germans for first time »

1944

Siege of Leningrad is lifted »

1945

Soviets liberate Auschwitz »

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January 28th 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 McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1777

British plan to isolate New England »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1873

Colette is born »

1985

American Recording Artists Gather to Record 'We Are the World' »

2006

Clint Eastwood honored by Directors Guild of America »

CIVIL WAR

1828

Thomas Hindman born »

COLD WAR

1964

Soviets shoot down U.S. jet »

CRIME

1958

Killer couple strikes the heartland »

DISASTER

1986

Challenger lost after liftoff »

GENERAL INTEREST

1917

U.S. ends search for Pancho Villa »

1997

Afrikaner police admit to killing Stephen Biko »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

2009

"Shuttin' Detroit Down" debuts »

PRESIDENTIAL

1916

Wilson nominates Brandeis to the Supreme Court »

SPORTS

1959

Vince Lombardi hired as Packers coach »

VIETNAM WAR

1973

Cease-fire goes into effect »

1975

Ford asks for additional aid »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1855

First train crosses the Panamanian isthmus »

WORLD WAR I

1915

Germans sink American merchant ship »

WORLD WAR II

1945

Burma Road is reopened »

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January 29th 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, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1777

Americans retreat from Fort Independence »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1845

"The Raven" is published »

1958

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward marry »

1962

Peter, Paul and Mary sign their first recording contract »

CIVIL WAR

1861

Kansas enters the Union »

COLD WAR

1964

Dr. Strangelove premieres »

CRIME

1979

School shooting in San Diego »

DISASTER

1922

Theater collapses in Washington, D.C. »

GENERAL INTEREST
1820
King George III dies »
1861
Divided Kansas enters the Union »
1891
Liliuokalani proclaimed queen of Hawaii »
1979
Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter sign accords »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1843

William McKinley, first U.S. president to ride in a car, is born »

PRESIDENTIAL

1834

Jackson sends troops to put down labor riot »

1843

William McKinley is born »

SPORTS

1936

Baseball Hall of Fame inducts first members »

VIETNAM WAR

1968

President Johnson requests additional funds »

1974

Fighting continues in South Vietnam »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1927

Edward Abbey is born »

WORLD WAR I

1915

German lieutenant Erwin Rommel leads daring mission in France »

WORLD WAR II

1942

Iran signs Treaty of Alliance with Great Britain and USSR »

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January 30th 1948 Gandhi assassinated   Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement, is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu fanatic. Born the son of an Indian official in 1869, Gandhi's Vaishnava mother was deeply religious and early on exposed her son to Jainism, a morally rigorous ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1781

Maryland finally ratifies Articles of Confederation »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1923

Sidney Bechet's first record »

1930

Gene Hackman born »

1945

Michael Dorris is born »

CIVIL WAR

1816

Nathaniel Banks born »

COLD WAR

1968

Tet Offensive shakes Cold War confidence »

CRIME

1948

Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi »

DISASTER

2000

Plane crashes off Ivory Coast »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1920

Japan's Mazda founded »

SPORTS

1994

Dan Jansen skates world-record 500 meters »

VIETNAM WAR

1968

Tet Offensive begins »

1971

Operation Dewey Canyon II begins »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1933

The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio »

WORLD WAR I

1933

Adolf Hitler is named chancellor of Germany »

WORLD WAR II

1943

RAF launches massive daytime raid on Berlin »

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January 31st 1950 Truman announces development of H-bomb   U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II. Five months earlier, the United States had lost its nuclear supremacy ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1752

Gouverneur Morris is born »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1923

Norman Mailer is born »

1937

American composer Phillip Glass is born »

1974

Samuel Goldwyn dies »

CIVIL WAR

1865

House passes the 13th Amendment »

COLD WAR

1990

First McDonald's opens in Soviet Union »

CRIME

1990

The McMartin Preschool trials »

DISASTER

1953

Flood wreaks havoc in Europe »

GENERAL INTEREST
1606
The death of Guy Fawkes »
1917
Germany resumes submarine warfare »
1968
Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy »
1971
Apollo 14 departs for the moon »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

2007

Cars.com names most memorable TV cars »

PRESIDENTIAL

1995

Clinton authorizes loan to Mexico »

SPORTS

1988

Doug Williams leads Redskins to Super Bowl victory »

VIETNAM WAR

1968

Viet Cong attack U.S. Embassy »

1972

North Vietnam presents nine-point peace proposal »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1872

Author Zane Grey is born »

WORLD WAR I

1917

Germans unleash U-boats »

WORLD WAR II

1945

The execution of Pvt. Slovik »

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February 1st 1884 Oxford Dictionary debuts   On this day in 1884, the first portion, or fascicle, of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), considered the most comprehensive and accurate dictionary of the English language, is published. Today, the OED is the definitive authority on the meaning, pronunciation and history of over half a million ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1781

Davidson College namesake killed at Cowan's Ford »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1814

"The Corsair" by Lord Byron is published »

1887

Official registration of Hollywood »

1896

Puccini's La bohème premieres in Turin, Italy »

CIVIL WAR

1861

Texas secedes »

COLD WAR

1951

U.N. condemns PRC for aggression »

CRIME

1974

Serial killer Ted Bundy strikes again »

DISASTER

2003

Columbia mission ends in disaster »

GENERAL INTEREST

1790

First session of the U.S. Supreme Court »

1908

Portuguese king and heir assassinated »

1979

Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

2004

Ford GT makes TV debut in Super Bowl ad »

PRESIDENTIAL

2003

Bush addresses the nation after space shuttle Columbia explodes »

SPORTS

1970

NHL goalie Terry Sawchuk posts 103rd shutout »

VIETNAM WAR

1964

Operation Plan 34A commences »

1968

Nixon announces his candidacy for president »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1885

Mormon president goes underground »

WORLD WAR I

1917

Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare »

WORLD WAR II

1943

Japanese begin evacuation of Guadalcanal »

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February 2nd 1887 First Groundhog Day   On this day in 1887, Groundhog Day, featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1781

Nathanael Greene finds fortification at Steele's Tavern »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY
1882
James Joyce is born »
1979
Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City »
1996
Gene Kelly dies »
2014
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dies at age 46 »

CIVIL WAR

1803

Albert Sidney Johnston born »

COLD WAR

1949

United States rejects proposal for conference with Stalin »

CRIME

1922

Murder in Hollywood: A tale of vice and vixens »

DISASTER

1847

First Donner Party member dies »

GENERAL INTEREST

1943

Battle of Stalingrad ends »

1971

Idi Amin takes power in Uganda »

1980

ABSCAM operation revealed »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1991

Hurley Haywood in quest to win fifth 24 Hours of Daytona »

PRESIDENTIAL

1848

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed »

SPORTS

1876

National League of baseball is founded »

VIETNAM WAR

1962

First U.S. Air Force plane crashes in South Vietnam. »

1970

Antiwar protestors sue Dow Chemical »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1812

Russians establish Fort Ross »

WORLD WAR I

1916

Zeppelin crashes into North Sea »

WORLD WAR II

1942

Quisling becomes prime minister of puppet regime in Norway »

1943

Germans surrender at Stalingrad »

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February 3rd 2005 Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general   On February 3, 2005, Alberto Gonzales won Senate confirmation as the nation's first Hispanic attorney general despite protests over his record on torture. The Senate approved his nomination on a largely party-line vote of 60-36, reflecting a split between Republicans and Democrats over whether the... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1781

Greene crosses the Yadkin with Kosciusko's boats »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1820

Keats falls deathly ill »

1959

The Music dies in an Iowa cornfield »

1989

John Cassavetes dies »

CIVIL WAR

1865

Hampton Roads Conference »

COLD WAR

1950

Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets »

CRIME

1780

Early American mass murder changes common perceptions of crime »

DISASTER

1998

Marine jet severs ski-lift cable in Italy »

GENERAL INTEREST
1924
Woodrow Wilson dies »
1953
Cousteau publishes The Silent World »
1959
The day the music died »
1966
Lunik 9 soft-lands on lunar surface »
1994
Clinton ends Vietnam trade embargo »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

2006

"World's Fastest Indian" makes U.S. debut »

PRESIDENTIAL

1994

Clinton ends trade embargo of Vietnam »

SPORTS

2002

New England Patriots win first Super Bowl »

2008

New York Giants upset New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII »

VIETNAM WAR

1955

Diem institutes limited agrarian reforms »

1970

Senate Foreign Relations Committee opens hearings »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1889

Belle Starr murdered in Oklahoma »

WORLD WAR I

1917

U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Germany »

WORLD WAR II

1944

U.S. troops capture the Marshall Islands »

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February 4th 1974 Patty Hearst kidnapped   On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, the 19-year-old daughter of newspaper publisher Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California, by two black men and a white woman, all three of whom are armed. Her fiance, Stephen Weed, was beaten and tied up along with a neighbor who ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1789

Washington unanimously elected by Electoral College to first and second terms »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1826

The Last of the Mohicans is published »

1938

Disney releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs »

1983

Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia »

CIVIL WAR

1861

Provisional Confederate Congress convenes »

COLD WAR

1945

Yalta Conference foreshadows the Cold War »

CRIME

1974

The Symbionese Liberation Army abducts Patty Hearst »

DISASTER

1976

Earthquake rocks Guatemala City »

GENERAL INTEREST

1789

First U.S. president elected »

1861

States meet to form Confederacy »

1969

PLO is founded »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1922

Ford buys Lincoln »

PRESIDENTIAL

1789

George Washington is elected president »

SPORTS

1959

Football great Lawrence Taylor born »

VIETNAM WAR

1962

First U.S. helicopter is shot down in Vietnam. »

1965

Rumors fly about U.S.-Soviet pressure on allies in Vietnam »

1972

Last Thai contingent departs South Vietnam »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1961

The Misfits released by United Artists »

WORLD WAR I

1915

Germany declares war zone around British Isles »

WORLD WAR II

1945

The Yalta Conference commences »

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February 5th 1994 Beckwith convicted of killing Medgar Evers   On this day in 1994, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith is convicted in the murder of African-American civil rights leader Medgar Evers, over 30 years after the crime occurred. Evers was gunned down in the driveway of his Jackson, Mississippi, home on June 12, 1963, while his wife, Myrlie, and ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1777

Georgia constitution abolishes primogeniture and entail »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1919

United Artists created »

1928

Andrew Greeley is born »

1957

The American Invasion begins, as Bill Haley and the Comets storm Britain »

CIVIL WAR

1865

Battle of Dabney's Mill (Hatcher's Run) »

COLD WAR

1989

The last Soviet troops leave Kabul »

CRIME

1994

Medger Evers' killer is convicted »

2012

Husband of missing Utah woman kills self and two young sons »

DISASTER

1783

Earthquake devastates southern Italy »

GENERAL INTEREST
1631
Roger Williams arrives in America »
1917
Mexican constitution proclaimed »
1917
Immigration act passed over Wilson's veto »
1937
Roosevelt announces "court-packing" plan »
1988
Noriega indicted on U.S. drug charges »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1878

The "French Henry Ford" born »

PRESIDENTIAL

1826

Millard Fillmore marries Abigail Powers »

SPORTS

1934

Hank Aaron is born »

HISTORY VAULT

Notable African Americans

HISTORY Vault commemorates Black History Month with exclusive documentaries and series that shine a light on the experience of African Americans.

Stream episodes about this, plus hundreds of HISTORY’s best documentaries and specials, all commercial-free. START FREE TRIAL

VIETNAM WAR

1960

South Vietnam requests more support »

1975

North Vietnamese begin preparations for offensive »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1883

Southern Pacific Railroad completes "Sunset Route" »

WORLD WAR I

1918

U.S. steamship Tuscania is torpedoed and sinks »

WORLD WAR II

1941

Hitler to Mussolini: Fight harder! »

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February 6th 1952 Elizabeth becomes queen   On this day in 1952, after a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the oldest of the king's two daughters and next in line to succeed him, was in Kenya at the time of her father's death; she was ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1778

Franco-American alliances signed »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1911

Ronald Reagan born »

1937

Of Mice and Men is published »

1998

Austrian superstar Falco dies »

CIVIL WAR

1865

John Pegram killed »

COLD WAR

1985

The "Reagan Doctrine" is announced »

CRIME

1998

Infamous school teacher goes back to prison »

DISASTER

1958

Man United players among victims of plane crash »

GENERAL INTEREST

1820

Freed U.S. slaves depart on journey to Africa »

1928

Anastasia arrives in the United States »

HISTORY VAULT

Black History Month

From the Tuskegee Airmen and to the Civil Rights Movement, HISTORY Vault commemorates the achievements of African Americans.

Stream episodes about this, plus hundreds of HISTORY's best documentaries and specials, all commercial-free. START FREE TRIAL

PRESIDENTIAL

1911

Ronald Reagan is born »

SPORTS

1993

Tennis great Arthur Ashe dies of AIDS »

VIETNAM WAR

1966

Johnson meets with South Vietnamese Premier »

1973

ICCS take up positions »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1891

Dalton Gang commits its first train robbery »

WORLD WAR I

1917

German sub sinks U.S. passenger ship California »

WORLD WAR II

1943

Mussolini fires his son-in-law »

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February 7th 1964 Beatles arrive in New York   On February 7, 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow lands at New York's Kennedy Airport–and "Beatlemania" arrives. It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1775

Benjamin Franklin publishes "An Imaginary Speech" »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1898

Zola is brought to trial »

1914

First appearance of "Little Tramp" »

1964

The Beatles arrive on American shores »

CIVIL WAR

1862

Confederates order reinforcements to Fort Donelson »

COLD WAR

1990

Soviet Communist Party gives up monopoly on political power »

CRIME

1881

Plea bargaining gains favor in American courts »

1968

Forensic evidence solves a crime »

DISASTER

1812

Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi »

GENERAL INTEREST
1904
The Great Baltimore Fire begins »
1984
First human satellite »
1992
European Union treaty signed »
1999
King Hussein of Jordan dies »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1938

Tire king Firestone dies »

PRESIDENTIAL

2002

President George W. Bush announces plan for "faith-based initiatives" »

SPORTS

1970

LSU star Maravich scores 69 points in single game »

VIETNAM WAR

1965

U.S. jets conduct retaliatory raids »

1971

Operation Dewey Canyon II ends »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1855

Cowboy celebrity Charles Siringo is born »

WORLD WAR I

1915

Winter Battle of the Masurian Lakes begins »

WORLD WAR II

1979

The "Angel of Death" dies »

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February 8th 1943 Americans secure Guadalcanal   On this day in 1943, Japanese troops evacuate Guadalcanal, leaving the island in Allied possession after a prolonged campaign. The American victory paved the way for other Allied wins in the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal is the largest of the Solomons, a group of 992 islands and atolls, 347 of which ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1777

Former POW Timothy Bigelow is named colonel »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1955

John Grisham, author of legal thrillers, is born »

1990

Del Shannon dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound »

1994

Jack Nicholson smashes windshield in episode of road rage »

CIVIL WAR

1862

Battle of Roanoke Island »

COLD WAR

1949

Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary sentenced »

CRIME

1983

Irish race horse stolen »

DISASTER

1978

New England digs out after blizzard »

GENERAL INTEREST
1587
Mary Queen of Scots beheaded »
1725
Peter the Great dies »
1904
The Russo-Japanese War begins »
1915
Birth of a Nation opens »
1924
First execution by lethal gas »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1985

Jaguar founder dies »

SPORTS

1986

Spud Webb wins dunk contest »

VIETNAM WAR

1962

MACV established »

1971

Operation Lam Son 719 begins »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1887

Cleveland signs the Dawes Severalty Act »

WORLD WAR I

1918

U.S. Army resumes publication of Stars and Stripes »

WORLD WAR II

1943

Britain's Indian Brigade begins guerrilla operations in Burma »

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February 9th 1971 Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame   On this day in 1971, pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a pitching legend known for his fastball, showmanship and the longevity of his playing career, which spanned five decades, was ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1776

Future New Jersey governor is promoted »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY

1944

Alice Walker is born »

1960

Joanne Woodward earns first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame »

1964

America meets the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show »

CIVIL WAR

1864

George Custer married »

COLD WAR

1950

McCarthy says communists are in State Department »

CRIME

1960

Coors brewery heir is kidnapped »

DISASTER

2001

U.S. sub collides with Japanese fishing boat in Pearl Harbor »

GENERAL INTEREST
1825
Presidential election decided in the House »
1900
Davis Cup competition established »
1942
Normandie burns in New York »
1950
McCarthy accuses State Department of communist infiltration »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1846

Auto pioneer Wilhelm Maybach born »

PRESIDENTIAL

1773

William Henry Harrison is born »

SPORTS

1992

Magic Johnson returns for All-Star Game »

VIETNAM WAR

1965

U.S. sends first combat troops to South Vietnam »

1972

USS Constellation arrives off coast of Vietnam. »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1864

Elizabeth Bacon marries George Custer »

WORLD WAR I

1918

Ukraine signs peace treaty with Central Powers »

WORLD WAR II

1942

The Normandie catches fire »

1942

Daylight saving time instituted »

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February 10th 1996 Kasparov loses chess game to computer   On this day in 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1779

The Battle of Carr's Fort »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY
1957
Laura Ingalls Wilder, chronicler of American frontier life, dies »
1972
Ziggy Stardust makes his earthly debut »
2006
Final episode of Arrested Development airs on Fox »
2014
Iconic child star Shirley Temple dies at 85 »

CIVIL WAR

1861

Davis learns he is president »

COLD WAR

1962

Soviets exchange American for captured Russian spy »

CRIME

1992

Boxing legend convicted of raping beauty queen »

DISASTER

1970

Avalanche buries skiers in France »

GENERAL INTEREST

1763

The French and Indian War ends »

1962

Spies swapped »

1989

Brown elected chairman of the Democratic Party »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1966

Auto safety crusader Ralph Nader testifies before Congress »

PRESIDENTIAL

1899

Herbert Hoover marries Lou Henry »

SPORTS

1996

Deep Blue beats Kasparov at chess »

VIETNAM WAR

1965

Viet Cong blow up U.S. barracks »

1971

Journalists killed in helicopter crash »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1846

Mormons begin exodus to Utah »

WORLD WAR I

1916

U.S. secretary of war resigns »

WORLD WAR II

1942

Japanese sub bombards Midway »

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February 11th 1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison   Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990. In 1944, Mandela, a lawyer, joined the African National Congress (ANC), the oldest black political organization in South Africa, where he became a leader of ... read more »

AMERICAN REVOLUTION

1776

Georgia's governor escapes imprisonment »

ART, LITERATURE, AND FILM HISTORY
1778
Voltaire is welcomed home »
1960
The Payola scandal heats up »
2008
Tolkien heirs file Lord of the Rings lawsuit »
2012
Pop superstar Whitney Houston dies at age 48 »

CIVIL WAR

1861

Lincoln leaves Springfield »

COLD WAR

1956

Burgess and Maclean resurface »

CRIME

1916

Birth control pioneer arrested »

DISASTER

1952

Avalanches plague central Europe »

GENERAL INTEREST

1858

Virgin Mary appears to St. Bernadette »

1945

Yalta Conference ends »

1970

The world's fourth space power »

INVENTIONS & SCIENCE

1937

GM signs first autoworkers contract »

PRESIDENTIAL

1945

FDR and daughter Anna leave Yalta Conference »

SPORTS

1990

Underdog Buster Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson »

VIETNAM WAR

1962

Farm Gate aircraft crashes »

WESTWARD EXPANSION

1805

Sacagawea gives birth to Pompey »

WORLD WAR I

1918

Russia's General Kaledin commits suicide »

WORLD WAR II

1942

The "Channel Dash" »