All Episodes
This Day in History Class — 1000 episodes
A laugh track is used in a TV show for the first time - September 9th, 1950
Carnation processes its first cans of evaporated milk - September 6th, 1899
AIDS activists wrap a giant condom over Senator Jesse Helms’ house - September 5th, 1991
Barney Flaherty becomes America's first paperboy - September 4th, 1833
Flashback episode - September 3rd
Flashback episode - September 2nd
The Moscow-Washington hotline is established - August 30th, 1963
British women join the war effort - August 29th, 1914
The "Tom Thumb" locomotive races a horse-drawn railroad car - August 28th, 1830
"The Guinness Book of Records” is published - August 27th, 1955
A Major League baseball game is televised for the first time - August 26th, 1939
The state of Franklin declares independence - August 23rd, 1784
Walt Disney's "The Skeleton Dance" premieres in theaters - August 22nd, 1929
An F5 tornado strikes Rochester, Minnesota - August 21st, 1883
NASA launches the Voyager 2 spacecraft - August 20th, 1977
Benjamin Banneker writes to Thomas Jefferson in support of abolition - August 19th, 1791
Flashback episode - August 16th
Tivoli Gardens opens in Copenhagen, Denmark - August 15th, 1843
Ethel Lois Payne is born - August 14th, 1911
German acrobat Otto Witte is allegedly crowned King of Albania - August 13th, 1913
Joseph Lister performs the first antiseptic surgery - August 12th, 1865
Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is published - August 9th, 1854
Brian Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” tops the Billboard Hot 100 - August 8th, 1960
Alice Ramsey becomes the first woman to drive across the United States - August 7th, 1909
William Kemmler is executed by electric chair - August 6th, 1890
Ronald Reagan fires more than 11,000 air traffic controllers - August 5th, 1981
Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins her second gold medal in the heptathlon - August 2nd, 1992
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes president of Iceland - August 1st, 1980
MGM’s Leo the Lion roars for the first time - July 31st, 1928
The USS Indianapolis is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine - July 30th, 1945
Flashback episode - July 29th
Grasshoppers devastate Midwestern crops - July 26th, 1931
Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival - July 25th, 1965
The first all-star baseball team plays the Addie Joss Benefit Game - July 24th, 1911
Comet Hale-Bopp is discovered - July 23rd, 1995
The Duke of Wellington defeats “40,000 Frenchmen in 40 minutes” - July 22nd, 1812
The Rosetta Stone is found in Egypt - July 19th, 1799
Nadia Comăneci scores a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games - July 18th, 1976
Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan flies across the Atlantic - July 17th, 1938
The world’s first parking meter is installed in Oklahoma City - July 16th, 1935
The platypus makes its U.S. debut - July 15th, 1922
"Family Feud" premieres on ABC - July 12th, 1976
The Skylab space station crashes over Australia - July 11th, 1979
Nils Bohlin patents the three-point seatbelt - July 10th, 1962
A statue of King George III is pulled down in New York City - July 9th, 1776
Ed Berners allegedly invents the ice cream sundae - July 8th, 1881
Flashback episode - July 5th
Flashback episode - July 4th
The Great Auk goes extinct - July 3rd, 1844
"Lawnchair Larry" takes flight in a homemade airship - July 2nd, 1982
The first Sony Walkman goes on sale - July 1st, 1979
Flashback episode - June 28th
The FBI foils Operation Pastorius - June 27th, 1942
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" is published - June 26th, 1948
Rose O’Neill is born - June 25th, 1874
Mark Twain patents a self-pasting scrapbook - June 24th, 1873
Columbia Records introduces long-playing discs - June 21st, 1948
"The Huckleberry Hound Show" wins an Emmy - June 20th, 1960
Eratosthenes calculates the Earth's circumference using a stick - June 19th, 240 BC
Susan B. Anthony is put on trial for voting - June 18th, 1873
Louis IX burns every copy of the Talmud in France - June 17th, 1242
The Continental Congress approves the first national flag of the United States - June 14th, 1777
Charles Osborne contracts the longest case of hiccups on record - June 13th, 1922
Karl Elsener patents the Swiss Army knife - June 12th, 1897
The first full-size hovercraft is launched - June 11th, 1959
Flashback episode - June 10th
Chief Seattle dies - June 7th, 1866
Chicago's first elevated train line begins operation - June 6th, 1892
Ruth Benedict is born - June 5th, 1887
The first shopping carts are introduced - June 4th, 1937
"Casey at the Bat" is published - June 3rd, 1888
London's Big Ben rings out for the first time - May 31st, 1859
Christopher Marlowe is killed in a tavern brawl - May 30th, 1593
The premiere of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" sparks a near riot in Paris - May 29th, 1913
16 women are fired for dancing the Turkey Trot - May 28th, 1912
Lonnie Johnson patents the Super Soaker - May 27th, 1986
Flashback episode - May 24th
Sergeant William Carney is awarded the Medal of Honor - May 23rd, 1900
Abraham Ortelius publishes the first world atlas - May 22nd, 1570
Leopold and Loeb murder Bobby Franks - May 21st, 1924
President Lincoln signs the Homestead Act - May 20th, 1862
The first Tim Hortons coffee and donut shop opens - May 17th, 1964
Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to summit Mount Everest - May 16th, 1975
Gasoline rationing begins in the United States - May 15th, 1942
A white mob attacks a group of Freedom Riders - May 14th, 1961
The Socialist Party of America nominates a convict for president - May 13th, 1920
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that tomatoes are vegetables - May 10th, 1893
The “Join, or Die” political cartoon is published - May 9th, 1754
The Tollund Man is discovered in Denmark - May 8th, 1950
Keith Richards writes "Satisfaction" in his sleep - May 7th, 1965
Roger Bannister breaks the four-minute mile - May 6th, 1954
California enacts the Alien Land Law - May 3rd, 1913
The "Battle of Alcatraz" begins - May 2nd, 1946
The world's first postage stamp is issued - May 1st, 1840
The first toy commercial airs on TV - April 30th, 1952
The Peace rose is introduced in the United States - April 29th, 1945
Organ music is played at a baseball stadium for the first time - April 26th, 1941
New York becomes the first state to require license plates on cars - April 25th, 1901
Jane Fonda’s first workout video is released - April 24th, 1982
William Lewis Moore is murdered in Alabama - April 23rd, 1963
The first annual White House Easter Egg Roll is held - April 22nd, 1878
The Netherlands recognizes the newly formed United States - April 19th, 1782
The Great San Francisco Earthquake - April 18th, 1906
Henri Giraud escapes from Königstein Castle - April 17th, 1942
Two giants pandas arrive in the U.S. from China - April 16th, 1972
The first school for the deaf opens in Hartford, Connecticut - April 15th, 1817
Flashback episode - April 12th
Flashback episode - April 11th
Bananas go on sale for the first time in London - April 10th, 1633
Marian Anderson performs outside the Lincoln Memorial - April 9th, 1939
Clint Eastwood is elected mayor of Carmel, California - April 8th, 1986
Sadao Munemori is killed in action in Italy - April 5th, 1945
American poet Maya Angelou is born - April 4th, 1928
The Unabomber is captured - April 3rd, 1996
Tally’s Electric Theatre opens in Los Angeles - April 2nd, 1902
An Alaskan prankster fakes the eruption of Mount Edgecumbe - April 1st, 1974
Niagara Falls stops flowing - March 29th, 1848
The first seaplane takes off from the waters of Martigues, France - March 28th, 1910
Marlon Brando declines the Academy Award for Best Actor - March 27th, 1973
The first official cremation in England takes place - March 26th, 1885
Michael Jackson debuts the moonwalk - March 25th, 1983
The U.S. Senate approves the Equal Rights Amendment - March 22nd, 1972
Flashback episode - March 21st
Libby Riddles wins the Iditarod - March 20th, 1985
Michael Jordan announces his return to the NBA with a two-word fax - March 19th, 1995
Scott Paper kicks off the paper dress fashion trend - March 18th, 1966
The first undersea park in the United States is established - March 15th, 1960
Legendary train engineer Casey Jones is born - March 14th, 1863
Chester Greenwood patents the modern-day earmuff - March 13th, 1877
An Irish gunman attempts to assassinate a British prince - March 12th, 1868
The Ken doll is introduced to the Barbie toy line - March 11th, 1961
The U.S. Senate adopts the cloture rule - March 8th, 1917
Phyllis Diller makes her stand-up debut - March 7th, 1955
The Alamo falls to Santa Anna and the Mexican army - March 6th, 1836
The Hula-Hoop is patented - March 5th, 1963
Ernest Hemingway completes “The Old Man and the Sea” - March 4th, 1952
Swatch watches are introduced in Switzerland - March 1st, 1983
Scotland allegedly passes a Leap Day proposal law - February 29th, 1288
The Denver International Airport opens - February 28th, 1995
Italy appeals for help with the Leaning Tower of Pisa - February 27th, 1964
American singer and pianist Fats Domino is born - February 26th, 1928
Six Marines raise the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima - February 23rd, 1945
Zitkála-Šá born / Edward Payson Weston walks from Boston to Washington DC on a bet - February 22nd Flashback
Nintendo releases "The Legend of Zelda" in Japan - February 21st, 1986
Americans hold a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden - February 20th, 1939
The Georgia Literature Commission is established. - February 19th, 1953
The first fruit tree patent is issued - February 16th, 1932
The Rosie the Riveter “We Can Do It!” poster is introduced - February 15th, 1943
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy gives a televised tour of the White House - February 14th, 1962
The first all-Black professional basketball team is organized - February 13th, 1923
Edvard Munch's "The Scream" is stolen - February 12th, 1994
Volleyball is invented - February 9th, 1895
Three Black students are killed in the Orangeburg Massacre - February 8th, 1968
Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” hits No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - February 7th, 1976
Hundreds of swimmers are washed out to sea on Bondi Beach - February 6th, 1938
The United States launches "Operation Cornflakes" - February 5th, 1945
Introducing: Very Special Episodes
Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City - February 2nd, 1913
The first volume of the Oxford English Dictionary is published - February 1st, 1884
Private Eddie Slovik is executed for desertion - January 31st, 1945
The Altar of Augustan Peace is dedicated in Rome - January 30th, 9 BC
The Seeing Eye dog guide training school opens in Nashville - January 29th, 1929
American aviator Bessie Coleman is born - January 26th, 1892
Scottish poet Robert Burns is born - January 25th, 1759
The Boy Scouts movement begins in England - January 24th, 1908
The USS Pueblo is captured - January 23rd, 1968
Lottie Williams becomes the first person to be hit by space junk - January 22nd, 1997
American singer Janis Joplin is born - January 19th, 1943
"The Jeffersons" premieres on CBS - January 18th, 1975
The U.S. buys three of the Virgin Islands from Denmark - January 17th, 1917
Ivan the Terrible assumes the throne of Russia - January 16th, 1547
Nazi war criminal Ilse Koch is sentenced to prison - January 15th, 1951
Philosopher and Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda is born - January 12th, 1863
Insulin is first used to treat a person with diabetes - January 11th, 1922
"The Greatest Show on Earth" premieres in New York City - January 10th, 1952
The last British convict ship arrives in Australia - January 9th, 1868
German Coast Uprising began / African American men secure the right to vote in D.C. - January 8th Flashback
Elizabeth Cotten born / "Rapper's Delight" becomes first Top 40 hip-hop song - January 5th Flashback
Topsy the Elephant Electrocuted / Louis Braille born - January 4th Flashback
Joseph Roberts became first president of Liberia / “Lord Haw-Haw” executed for treason - January 3rd Flashback
Duquesne Spy Ring sentenced / Nixon sets 55mph national speed limit - January 2nd Flashback
Frankenstein published / Johnny Cash plays a concert at San Quentin State Prison - January 1st Flashback
Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe loses part of his nose in a sword duel - December 29th, 1566
H. L. Mencken perpetrates the Bathtub Hoax - December 28th, 1917
The U.S. government seizes control of Montgomery Ward - December 27th, 1944
The Great Blizzard buries New York City - December 26th, 1947
St. Francis of Assisi sets up the first Nativity scene - December 25th, 1223
Edward Johnson gives the first demonstration of electric Christmas tree lights - December 22nd, 1882
Elvis Presley meets Richard Nixon - December 21st, 1970
Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” premieres - December 20th, 1946
Jonathan R. Davis single-handedly kills 11 armed outlaws - December 19th, 1854
Kenneth LeBel jumps 17 barrels on ice skates - December 18th, 1965
The APA stops classifying homosexuality as a mental illness - December 15th, 1973
Agatha Christie is found alive and well after having gone missing for 11 days - December 14th, 1926
The Haribo candy company is founded - December 13th, 1920
Leonardo da Vinci's notebook sells for over $5 million at auction - December 12th, 1980
Edward VIII abdicates the British throne - December 11th, 1936
Mexican painter Diego Rivera is born - December 8th, 1886
Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting" hits No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - December 7th, 1974
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Expatriation Act - December 6th, 1915
The world's first automated parking garage opens - December 5th, 1951
A fire breaks out at the Montreux Casino during a Frank Zappa concert - December 4th, 1971
The first Christmas Club is introduced - December 1st, 1909
Elizabeth I "Golden Speech" / Barbados gains independence - November 30th Flashback
Whitman massacre / James Jay invents invisible ink - November 29th Flashback
Anne Bonny and Mary Read piracy conviction / First pulsar detected - November 28th Flashback
Berners Street hoax / Custer massacres Cheyenne - November 27th Flashback
Bessie Blount born / Tasman spots Tasmania - November 24th Flashback
José Clemente Orozco born / First jukebox - November 23rd Flashback
Blackbeard killed / Star Trek interracial kiss - November 22nd Flashback
Piltdown Man hoax / Ella Fitzgerald wins Apollo Amateur Night - November 21st Flashback
Whale sinks the Essex / Zumbi executed - November 20th Flashback
The last inhabitants of the Blasket Islands are evacuated - November 17th, 1953
Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro springs a trap on Inca emperor Atahualpa - November 16th, 1532
The first stock ticker is unveiled in New York City - November 15th, 1867
Ruby Bridges desegregates her school - November 14th, 1960
Walt Disney's "Fantasia" is released - November 13th, 1940
Gideons Bibles are placed in hotel rooms for the first time - November 10th, 1908
Willie Nelson’s assets are seized by the IRS - November 9th, 1990
Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt - November 8th, 1939
The Pillsbury Doughboy makes his first TV appearance - November 7th, 1965
A security guard sets fire to the Universal Studios backlot - November 6th, 1990
The Chicago Tribune mistakenly declares “Dewey Defeats Truman” - November 3rd, 1948
The first computer worm is released onto the Internet - November 2nd, 1988
Canadian goalie Jacques Plante dons the first hockey mask - November 1st, 1959
German farmer Peter Stumpp is executed for being a werewolf - October 31st, 1589
"Garfield’s Halloween Adventure" debuts on CBS - October 30th, 1985
"Godzilla" premieres in Nagoya, Japan - October 27th, 1954
Guided tours of the former prison at Alcatraz begin - October 26th, 1973
Japan deploys kamikaze bombers for the first time - October 25th, 1944
A Spanish soldier is allegedly teleported from Manila to Mexico - October 24th, 1593
Notorious mobster Dutch Schultz is gunned down at the Palace Chop House - October 23rd, 1935
Dick Fosbury flops his way to Olympic victory - October 20th, 1968
The first Blockbuster video rental store opens - October 19th, 1985
The U.S. takes control of Puerto Rico - October 18th, 1898
Burma's "Death Railway" is completed - October 17th, 1943
The Cardiff Giant is "discovered" - October 16th, 1869
James Wallace Black takes the oldest surviving aerial photograph - October 13th, 1860
"The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" is published - October 12th, 1979
Jamaican preacher Paul Bogle leads the Morant Bay Rebellion - October 11th, 1865
John Wesley Hyatt patents a new kind of billiard ball - October 10th, 1865
Peekskill Meteorite / Che Guevara Executed - October 9th Flashback
A disgruntled tavern owner casts the "goat curse" on the Chicago Cubs - October 6th, 1945
Dave Kunst completes the first recorded walk around the world - October 5th, 1974
The Dinosaur National Monument is established - October 4th, 1915
Germany successfully launches the V-2 rocket - October 3rd, 1942
Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip debuts - October 2nd, 1950
Scotland Yard is established - September 29th, 1829
The U.S. Navy abolishes flogging - September 28th, 1850
The first Santa Claus training school opens - September 27th, 1937
The Alabama Supreme Court upholds the contempt conviction of Mary Hamilton - September 26th, 1963
American journalist Barbara Walters is born - September 25th, 1929
The first issue of "National Geographic" is published - September 22nd, 1888
Benedict Arnold commits treason - September 21st, 1780
Fonzie jumps a shark on "Happy Days" - September 20th, 1977
Nikita Khrushchev is denied access to Disneyland - September 19th, 1959
Future U.S. President Jimmy Carter reports a UFO sighting- September 18th, 1973
"Columbo" debuts on NBC - September 15th, 1971
Francis Scott Key writes “The Star-Spangled Banner” - September 14th, 1814
Henry Bliss becomes the first American to be killed by an automobile - September 13th, 1899
West Virginia residents report the first sighting of the Flatwoods Monster - September 12th, 1952
Hurricane Iniki pummels the Hawaiian island of Kauai - September 11th, 1992
Delano Grape Strike / Michelangelo's David Unveiled - September 8th Flashback
Pirate Raid on the Ganj-i-Sawai / Death of the Last Thylacine - September 7th Flashback
King Charles II Hides in Oak Tree / Buddy Bolden Born - September 6th Flashback
'Hippie' Used in Print / "The Muppet Show" Premiere - September 5th Flashback
Peekskill Riots / First Roll-Film Camera - September 4th Flashback
S-5 Submarine Catastrophe / Libyan Coup D'état - September 1st Flashback
Jack the Ripper's First Murder / Singapore Independence - August 31st Flashback
Lancelot 'Capability' Brown Baptized / Moravia Brings Cholera to U.S. - August 30th Flashback
Wendell Scott Born / The Last of the Yahi People - August 29th Flashback
Emmett Till Murdered / Carrington Event - August 28th Flashback
The Great Moon Hoax Began / First Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Meeting - August 25th Flashback
Microsoft releases the Windows 95 operating system - August 24th, 1995
Scottish patriot William Wallace is executed in London - August 23rd, 1305
Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first U.S. president to publicly ride in a car - August 22nd, 1902
Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory dies - August 21st, 1614
Helium is discovered during a solar eclipse - August 18th, 1868
Nicolas Fouquet throws the most famous party in French history - August 17th, 1653
President Tyler is burned in effigy outside the White House - August 16th, 1841
Thomas Edison suggests using the word "hello" as a telephone greeting - August 15th, 1877
The Wiffle ball is invented - August 14th, 1953
The Mall of America opens - August 11th, 1992
A white mob destroys the Noyes Academy - August 10th, 1835
Betty Boop makes her cartoon debut in "Dizzy Dishes" - August 9th, 1930
The term “global warming” appears in print for the first time - August 8th, 1975
Theophilus Van Kannel patents the revolving door - August 7th, 1888
Yankees outfielder Dave Winfield is arrested for killing a seagull - August 4th, 1983
Mail service resumes at a nudist colony in Florida - August 3rd, 1985
American gunfighter “Wild Bill” Hickok is killed during a card game - August 2nd, 1876
The first Six Flags opens in Arlington, Texas - August 1st, 1961
Apollo 15 astronauts take the first car ride on the Moon - July 31st, 1971
"White Zombie" introduces a new kind of monster to the silver screen - July 28th, 1932
The first commercial jetliner takes to the skies - July 27th, 1949
The U.S. postal system is established - July 26th, 1775
Two ocean liners collide off the island of Nantucket - July 25th, 1956
The Window Tax is abolished in the United Kingdom - July 24th, 1851
Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis - July 21st, 356 BC
The Guinea Pig Club forms - July 20th, 1941
French cyclist Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France - July 19th, 1903
Atomic-generated electricity is sold for the first time - July 18th, 1955
Willis Carrier designs the first modern air conditioner - July 17th, 1902
Edward Whymper becomes the first person to scale the Matterhorn - July 14th, 1865
A major blackout strikes New York City - July 13th, 1977
The Etch A Sketch is introduced - July 12th, 1960
Earth welcomes its five billionth human - July 11th, 1987
Death Valley experiences the world's highest recorded temperature - July 10th, 1913
The Hawaiian Islands are annexed by the United States - July 7th, 1898
Flashback episode - July 6th
Flashback episode - July 5th
Flashback episode - July 4th
President Reagan relights the newly restored Statue of Liberty - July 3rd, 1986
Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is published - June 30th, 1936
The San Diego Chicken is re-hatched at Jack Murphy Stadium - June 29th, 1979
The Freedmen’s Bank fails - June 28th, 1874
The yen is adopted as the official currency of Japan - June 27th, 1871
The first barcode is scanned at an Ohio supermarket - June 26th, 1974
Tim Burton’s Batman is released in theaters - June 23rd, 1989
Hanson Gregory allegedly invents the modern doughnut - June 22nd, 1847
Tiny Broadwick becomes the first woman to parachute from an airplane - June 21st, 1913
Flashback episode - June 20th
The first Father's Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington - June 19th, 1910
Rudolf Nureyev defects from the Soviet Union - June 16th, 1961
U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle misspells "potato" - June 15th, 1992
Americans take part in the first nationwide civil defense drill - June 14th, 1954
King Ludwig II of Bavaria dies under mysterious circumstances - June 13th, 1886
Bryan Allen makes the first human-powered flight across the English Channel - June 12th, 1979
The first Automat restaurant opens in Philadelphia - June 9th, 1902
Pope Leo X's pet elephant dies - June 8th, 1516
Elvis Presley's Graceland is opened to the public - June 7th, 1982
The Battle of Stoney Creek halts the U.S. invasion of Canada - June 6th, 1813
The Green Belt Movement plants its first trees - June 5th, 1977
Native Americans are granted U.S. citizenship - June 2nd, 1924
Captain John Lawrence coins the Navy motto "Don't give up the ship" - June 1st, 1813
The first U.S. copyright law is enacted - May 31st, 1790
Flashback episode - May 30th
The U.S. government snubs Black Gold Star mothers and widows - May 29th, 1930
John Lennon and Yoko One begin their second "bed-in" for peace - May 26th, 1969
A Pennsylvania man is buried in his prized Corvette - May 25th, 1994
Russian engineers begin drilling the world's deepest hole - May 24th, 1970
President George Washington offers a reward for the capture of Ona Judge - May 23rd, 1796
A Southern congressman beats a Northern senator with a cane - May 22nd, 1856
The first Jumping Frog Jubilee is held in Calaveras County - May 19th, 1928
Grauman's Chinese Theatre opens in Hollywood - May 18th, 1927
Peter Mundy records the first description of a merry-go-round - May 17th, 1620
The discovery of the Ozone Hole is announced - May 16th, 1985
Abe Fortas resigns from the U.S. Supreme Court - May 15th, 1969
The NOAA announces that hurricanes will no longer be named solely after women - May 12th, 1978
The B.F. Goodrich Company introduces the tubeless tire - May 11th, 1947
American children's author Shel Silverstein dies - May 10th, 1999
The FDA approves the world's first birth control pill - May 9th, 1960
The first glass of Coca-Cola is served - May 8th, 1886
Mary Kies becomes the first woman to be granted a U.S. patent - May 5th, 1809
The Dixon Bridge Disaster - May 4th, 1873
Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor play Twister - May 3rd, 1966
The Sakdal Uprising begins in Luzon, Philippines - May 2nd, 1935
Iodized salt is sold for the first time - May 1st, 1924
The first animated electric sign debuts in Times Square - April 28th, 1937
President Eisenhower launches the Lavender Scare - April 27th, 1953
American blues singer Ma Rainey is born - April 26th, 1886
The first guillotine is used to execute a French highwayman - April 25th, 1792
Black demonstrators are attacked at a segregated beach in Mississippi - April 24th, 1960
The Nintendo Game Boy is released in Japan - April 21st, 1989
Flashback episode - April 20th
The creator of LSD goes for a harrowing bike ride - April 19th, 1943
BBC reports "There is no news today" and plays piano music instead - April 18th, 1930
Daffy Duck makes his first appearance in the animated short film "Porky's Duck Hunt" - April 17th, 1937
A bathroom mishap sinks a German U-boat- April 14, 1945
The U.S. Federal Reserve issues a two-dollar bill - April 13th, 1976
A catcher's mask is used in a baseball game for the first time - April 12th, 1877
The Barbershop Harmony Society is founded - April 11th, 1938
The RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England - April 10th, 1912
President Carter halts production of neutron bombs - April 7th, 1978
The first modern Olympic Games are held in Athens - April 6th, 1896
Radio stations across the globe play "We Are the World" in unison - April 5th, 1985
The peace symbol makes its first public appearance - April 4th, 1958
CBS censors the Smothers Brothers - April 3rd, 1969
Abigail Adams urges her husband to “remember the ladies” - March 31st, 1776
Hymen Lipman patents the first pencil with a built-in eraser - March 30th, 1858
The first Oval Office telephone is installed - March 29th, 1929
The Cheapside Street Whisky Fire - March 28th, 1960
The first cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C. are planted - March 27th, 1912
Flashback episode: Civil rights leader Dorothy Height is born - March 24th, 1912 / Exxon Valdez oil spill - March 24, 1989
Elisha Otis installs the first commercial elevator - March 23rd, 1857
Hugo Grotius escapes prison by hiding in a book chest - March 22nd, 1621
The U.S. Air Force ejects a black bear from a bomber plane - March 21st, 1962
A planetary alignment allegedly creates the Black Death - March 20th, 1345
Production begins on Walt Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People - March 17th, 1958
Mississippi ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment - March 16th, 1995
The first internet domain name is registered - March 15th, 1985
Lucy Hobbs Taylor is born - March 14th, 1833
Sir William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus - March 13th, 1781
The first Book of the Month Club selection is published - March 10th, 1926
The Parthenon is consecrated in Athens - March 9th, 432 BC
The Lonely Hearts Killers are executed - March 8th, 1951
The Writers Guild of America goes on strike - March 7th, 1988
The Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster - March 6th, 1987
Anne Sullivan begins teaching Helen Keller - March 3rd, 1887
Pennsylvania ends its ban on theatrical performances - March 2nd, 1789
John Winthrop records the earliest known UFO sighting in America - March 1st, 1639
An experimental cannon explodes on board the USS Princeton - February 28th, 1844
A Massachusetts pastor is dismissed from his church for baptizing a dog - February 27th, 1922
The first issue of the Shawnee Sun is published - February 24th, 1835
W.E.B. Du Bois is born - February 23rd, 1868
DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince win the first Grammy award for Best Rap Performance - February 22nd, 1989
NASCAR is founded - February 21st, 1948
Flashback episode for President's Day
Virginia legislators vote to retire the controversial state song - February 17th, 1997
British broadcasters put an end to the "Toddlers' Truce" - February 16th, 1957
Teddy bears are sold for the first time - February 15th, 1903
Introducing: The Last Soviet
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre erupts in Chicago - February 14th, 1929
The League of Nations recognizes the permanent neutrality of Switzerland - February 13th, 1920
Major League Baseball bans the spitball - February 10th, 1920
The Qianlong Emperor abdicates the Chinese throne - February 9th, 1796
Mysterious cloven hoof-marks appear in Devon, England - February 8th, 1855
Two astronauts complete the first untethered spacewalks - February 7th, 1984
The Sámi people hold their first national congress - February 6th, 1917
Jacques Cousteau’s The Silent World is published - February 3rd, 1953
Sears opens its first retail store - February 2nd, 1925
An atomic bomb blast is shown for the first time on television - February 1st, 1951
McDonald's opens its first restaurant in the Soviet Union - January 31st, 1990
The U.S. Congress buys Thomas Jefferson’s book collection - January 30th, 1815
Germany observes its first Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27th, 1996
Benjamin Franklin laments the choice of the bald eagle as a national symbol - January 26th, 1784
Two traditional wedding songs are played together for the first time - January 25th, 1858
Christian K. Nelson patents the Eskimo Pie - January 24th, 1922
A West Virginia newlywed is found dead under mysterious circumstances - January 23rd, 1897
King Charles I is brought to trial in Westminster Hall - January 20th, 1649
American country music singer Dolly Parton is born - January 19th, 1946
British lexicographer Peter Mark Roget is born - January 18th, 1779
Ireland grants the first divorce in the nation's history - January 17th, 1997
The Bottle Conjuror causes a riot at London’s Haymarket Theatre - January 16th, 1749
Henry Ford patents a soybean car - January 13th, 1942
Human cloning is banned in 19 European countries - January 12th, 1998
Milk is delivered in glass bottles for the first time - January 11th, 1878
Bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine tests a bubonic plague vaccine on himself - January 10th, 1897
Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger imposes the first income tax on British citizens - January 9th, 1799
Daylight saving time begins several months early in the U.S. to help conserve energy - January 6th, 1974
French poet François Villon is banished from Paris - January 5th, 1463
Frankenstein opens and closes on Broadway - January 4th, 1981
The Hamilton Watch Company unveils the world's first electric watch - January 3rd, 1957
Cigarette ads are banned from TV and radio in the United States - January 2nd, 1971
This Day In History Class - January 1st
This Day In History Class - December 31st
This Day In History Class - December 30th
This Day In History Class - December 29th
This Day In History Class - December 28th
This Day In History Class - December 27th
This Day In History Class - December 26th
This Day In History Class - December 25th
This Day In History Class - December 24th
This Day In History Class - December 23rd
This Day In History Class - December 22nd
This Day In History Class - December 21st
This Day In History Class - December 20th
This Day In History Class - December 19th
This Day In History Class - December 18th
This Day In History Class - December 17th
This Day In History Class - December 16th
This Day In History Class - December 15th
This Day In History Class - December 14th
This Day In History Class - December 13th
This Day In History Class - December 12th
This Day In History Class - December 11th
This Day In History Class - December 10th
This Day In History Class - December 9th
This Day In History Class - December 8th
This Day In History Class - December 7th
This Day In History Class - December 6th
This Day In History Class - December 5th
This Day In History Class - December 4th
This Day In History Class - December 3rd
This Day In History Class - December 2nd
This Day In History Class - December 1st
The Stone of Destiny is formally returned to Scotland - November 30th, 1996
British author and theologian C.S. Lewis is born - November 29th, 1898
Commercial skywriting appears in American skies for the first time - November 28th, 1922
Band Aid records the controversial charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" - November 25th, 1984
Joseph Glidden receives a patent for the first commercially successful barbed wire - November 24th, 1874
Thespis of Icaria becomes the world's first actor - November 23rd, 534 BC
Carl Eliason patents the "motor toboggan," the precursor to the snowmobile - November 22nd, 1927
The first manned flight in a hot air balloon takes place over Paris - November 21st, 1783
U.S. Catholic bishops relax the rule against eating meat on Fridays - November 18th, 1966
Kaiser Wilhelm II bans German soldiers from dancing the tango - November 17th, 1913
Earth's first message for extraterrestrials is sent into space - November 16th, 1974
Cartoonist Al Capp creates Sadie Hawkins Day - November 15th, 1937
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is first published as a book - November 14th, 1883
An adulterous couple is paraded through a Dutch village in a dung cart - November 11th, 1961
Sesame Street makes its broadcast debut - November 10th, 1969
The Professional Golfers' Association of America repeals its "caucasians only" rule - November 9th, 1961
Venetian glassmakers are forced to move to the island of Murano - November 8th, 1291
Montana suffragist Jeanette Rankin becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress - November 7th, 1916
James and John Ritty patent the first cash register - November 4th, 1879
Black Bart robs his last stagecoach - November 3rd, 1883
Game show contestant Charles Van Doren admits to cheating - November 2nd, 1959
The Motion Picture Association of America introduces the film-rating system - November 1st, 1968
The "Candyman" killer hands out poisoned treats on Halloween - October 31st, 1974
Halloween Is Grinch Night premieres on ABC - October 28th, 1977
"Monster Mash" begins its second week as the No. 1 song in America - October 27th, 1962
The Royal Charter Storm sinks 133 ships in the Irish Sea - October 26th, 1859
Horror movie icon Vincent Price passes away from lung cancer - October 25th, 1993
Heavy fog causes a series of deadly crashes on the New Jersey Turnpike - October 24th, 1973
Apple unveils the PowerBook laptop - October 21st, 1991
Queen Elizabeth II opens the Sydney Opera House - October 20th, 1973
An Oregon county pays its share of a Boston Tea Party debt - October 19th, 1961
The British Privy Council rules that women are considered "Persons" under Canadian law - October 18th, 1929
U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant suspends habeas corpus to combat the Ku Klux Klan - October 17th, 1871
Arthur Conan Doyle publishes The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - October 14th, 1892
The first American cell phone network launches in Chicago - October 13th, 1983
Actor Jon-Erik Hexum accidentally shoots himself with a prop gun - October 12th, 1984
Hundreds of thousands march on the U.S. capital in support of gay rights - October 11th, 1987
The historic London Bridge is reopened in Arizona - October 10th, 1971
Russian despot Vladimir Putin is born - October 7th, 1952
The Moulin Rouge cabaret opens in Paris - October 6th, 1889
Narcotics Anonymous holds its first recovery meeting - October 5th, 1953
Televangelist Jim Bakker is indicted on federal charges - October 4th, 1988
America’s first Black-owned radio station goes on the air - October 3rd, 1949
The U.S. Navy commissions the world's first nuclear-powered submarine - September 30th, 1954
Jackie Wilson slips into an irreversible coma - September 29th, 1975
Dr. Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin - September 28th, 1928
Balloonfest '86 wreaks havoc in Cleveland, Ohio - September 27th, 1986
Nixon and Kennedy take part in the first televised presidential debate - September 26th, 1960
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet is published - September 23rd, 1923
American spy Nathan Hale is executed by British troops - September 22nd, 1776
A British barrister buys Stonehenge as a gift for his wife - September 21st, 1915
The first wave of Southeast Asian "boat people" arrives in San Francisco - September 20th, 1977
Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” hits No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - September 19th, 1960
An explosion on Wall Street kills 38 people - September 16th, 1920
Tanks are used in combat for the first time during the Battle of the Somme - September 15th, 1916
A Dutch schoolmaster slashes a famous Rembrandt painting with a butter knife - September 14th, 1975
"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" premieres on CBS - September 13th, 1969
South African activist Steve Biko dies in police custody - September 12th, 1977
The world's first computer bug is recorded - September 9th, 1947
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is released in theaters - September 8th, 1960
The U.S. nickname "Uncle Sam" is introduced - September 7th, 1813
The first self-service grocery store opens in Memphis, Tennessee - September 6th, 1916
Russian monarch Peter the Great imposes a tax on beards - September 5th, 1698
The first American bank heist takes place at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia - September 2nd, 1798
Nazi Germany decrees that all Jews over the age of six must wear a yellow star - September 1st, 1941
John Lloyd Wright is granted the patent for Lincoln Logs - August 31st, 1920
Guion "Guy" Bluford becomes the first African American to travel into space - August 30th, 1983
The last known member of the Yahi people emerges from the California wilderness - August 29th, 1911
The French government denies responsibility for the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior - August 26th, 1985
The U.S. National Park Service is established - August 25th, 1916
Chef George Crum allegedly invents the potato chip - August 24th, 1853
First Lady Dolley Madison saves a portrait of George Washington from British looters - August 23rd, 1814
Ann Smith Franklin becomes the first female newspaper editor in the United States - August 22nd, 1762
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds its first automobile race - August 19th, 1909
Mongol leader Genghis Khan dies - August 18th, 1227
East German border guards shoot a man trying to cross the Berlin Wall - August 17th, 1962
Edwin Prescott receives the first patent for a vertical loop roller coaster - August 16th, 1898
King Macbeth of Scotland is defeated at the Battle of Lumphanan - August 15th, 1057
The nearly complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex is unearthed in South Dakota - August 12th, 1990
America's first roller skating rink opens in Newport, Rhode Island - August 11th, 1866
The Smithsonian Institution is established - August 10th, 1846
The U.S. Forest Service introduces Smokey Bear - August 9th, 1944
Masked bandits rob a Royal Mail train in England - August 8th, 1963
Operation Big Switch begins at Panmunjom, Korea - August 5th, 1953
The Saturday Evening Post publishes its first issue - August 4th, 1821
RadioShack introduces the TRS-80 personal computer - August 3rd, 1977
The first U.S. census is conducted - August 2nd, 1790
The cable television network MTV is launched - August 1st, 1981
English naval forces defeat the Spanish Armada - July 29th, 1588
Western Union delivers its first singing telegram - July 28th, 1933
Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the animated short film "A Wild Hare" - July 27th, 1940
The Erfurt Latrine Disaster - July 26th, 1184
Roseanne Barr sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Major League Baseball game - July 25th, 1990
Plan 9 from Outer Space is released in theaters - July 22nd, 1959
Vostok Research Station measures the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth - July 21st, 1983
A town in Massachusetts makes a giant cheese ball for Thomas Jefferson - July 20th, 1801
Two supertankers collide in the Caribbean Sea - July 19th, 1979
The first Oscar Mayer Wienermobile hits the streets of Chicago - July 18th, 1936
A school bus is hijacked in Chowchilla, California - July 15th, 1976
Dr. Spock's The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care is published - July 14th, 1946
P. T. Barnum’s museum mysteriously burns to the ground - July 13th, 1865
“Disco Demolition Night" turns violent at Comiskey Park in Chicago - July 12th, 1979
An American surgeon creates controversy after using zippers in place of stitches - July 11th, 1985
North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung dies - July 8th, 1994
Sandra Day O’Connor is nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court - July 7th, 1981
Notorious pirate Captain William Kidd is captured in Boston - July 6th, 1699
The first bikini swimsuit makes its debut in Paris - July 5th, 1946
Booker T. Washington opens the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama - July 4th, 1881
The U.S. Postal Service introduces the ZIP Code - July 1st, 1963
French acrobat Charles Blondin crosses Niagara Falls on a tightrope - June 30th, 1859
The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir - June 29th, 1995
Adolphe Sax patents the saxophone - June 28th, 1846
The first Newbery Medal for children’s literature is awarded - June 27th, 1922
Pablo Picasso's first major exhibition opens in Paris - June 24th, 1901
The Charlie Daniels Band releases its hit single "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - June 23rd, 1979
English explorer Henry Hudson is set adrift by mutineers - June 22nd, 1611
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that burning the American flag is protected under the First Amendment - June 21st, 1989
British captives are imprisoned overnight in the "Black Hole of Calcutta" - June 20th, 1756
The College Board introduces its first standardized test - June 17th, 1901
The Victoria Hall Disaster - June 16th, 1883
The Danish flag allegedly falls from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse - June 15th, 1219
The words "under God" are added to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance - June 14th, 1954
Thurgood Marshall is nominated as justice to the U.S. Supreme Court - June 13th, 1967
Andrew Jackson's pet parrot is removed from his funeral for excessive swearing - June 10th, 1845
Mormon handcart pioneers set out for Salt Lake City - June 9th, 1856
A corpse flower blooms in the United States for the first time - June 8th, 1937
The original Legoland theme park opens in Billund, Denmark - June 7th, 1968
The first drive-in movie theater opens - June 6th, 1933
Rock music is banned in Santa Cruz, California - June 3rd, 1956
The Rum Riot wreaks havoc in Portland, Maine - June 2nd, 1855
The 'Battle of the Beanfield' breaks out at Stonehenge - June 1st, 1985
The League of American Wheelmen forms in Newport, Rhode Island - May 31st, 1880
Blue Ribbon Sports changes its name to Nike - May 30th, 1971
Walt Disney releases the animated short film "Three Little Pigs" - May 27th, 1933
Feral teenager Kaspar Hauser is found wandering the streets of Nuremberg - May 26th, 1828
A stuntman dressed as Spider-Man scales all 110 stories of the Sears Tower - May 25th, 1981
The nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is published - May 24th, 1830
"Shuffle Along" premieres on Broadway - May 23rd, 1921
A New York City cab driver becomes the first person to be arrested for speeding - May 20th, 1899
Marilyn Monroe sings "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy - May 19th, 1962
Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington state - May 18th, 1980
The FBI Laboratory concludes its investigation into the lyrics of “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen - May 17th, 1965
Congress authorizes the creation of a new American five-cent coin - May 16th, 1866
Cardinal Richelieu of France invents the table knife - May 13th, 1637
Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill, Jr. is released to theaters - May 12th, 1928
An exhumed corpse provides new evidence against the "Queen of Poisoners" serial killer - May 11, 1949
Nazis stage massive public book burnings in Germany - May 10th, 1933
President Woodrow Wilson proclaims the first official Mother’s Day holiday - May 9th, 1914
Yūichirō Miura becomes the first person to ski down Mt. Everest - May 6th, 1970
Chanel No. 5 perfume is introduced in Paris - May 5th, 1921
UK politicians coin the phrase "May the fourth be with you" to celebrate Margaret Thatcher's election - May 4th, 1979
Gary Thuerk sends the first "spam" email - May 3rd, 1978
The first modern sighting of the Loch Ness Monster is reported - May 2nd, 1933
Aretha Franklin releases her rendition of Otis Redding's "Respect" - April 29th, 1967
Firefighters use explosives to put out the Devil's Cigarette Lighter well fire - April 28th, 1962
John Milton sells the copyright to Paradise Lost for £10 - April 27th, 1667
Sybil Ludington rides 40 miles to warn of advancing British soldiers - April 26th, 1778
A Soviet leader invites an American schoolgirl to the Soviet Union to soothe her fears about nuclear war - April 25th, 1983
The New York World's Fair opens - April 22nd, 1964
Rosie Ruiz fakes winning the Boston Marathon - April 21st, 1980
Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders in Rue Morgue" is published - April 20th, 1841
Actress Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in prison for “corrupting the morals of youth” - April 19th, 1927
The world's first fighter pilot is forced to land behind enemy lines - April 18th, 1915
Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas - April 15th, 1924
The El Paso Gunfight leaves four dead in five seconds - April 14th, 1881
A deadly hailstorm changes the course of the Hundred Years' War - April 13th, 1360
Federal inspectors reveal that "unicorns" at the Ringling Bros. Circus are actually just goats - April 12th, 1985
War nearly breaks out after a British lord is kidnapped while vacationing in Greece - April 11th, 1870
Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s home run record - April 8th, 1974
The metric system is officially adopted by France - April 7th, 1795
Post-it Notes go on sale for the first time - April 6th, 1980
The sole survivor of a German U-boat attack is rescued after 133 days at sea - April 5th, 1943
William Henry Harrison becomes the first U.S. President to die in office - April 4th, 1841
The BBC fools viewers into believing that spaghetti grows on trees - April 1st, 1957
"Oklahoma!" premieres on Broadway - March 31st, 1943
The U.S. buys Alaska from Russia - March 30th, 1867
Chinese farmers happen upon the Terracotta Army while digging a well - March 29th, 1974
Swedish author Astrid Lindgren sprains her ankle and begins writing Pippi Longstocking - March 28th, 1944
Billboard magazine introduces the "Hillbilly Hits" music chart - March 25th, 1939
Civil rights leader Dorothy Height is born - March 24th, 1912
John William Draper reveals the first detailed photos of the moon - March 23rd, 1840
A garbage barge sets sail on a five-month journey in search of a place to unload - March 22nd, 1987
A fire destroys almost the entire city of New Orleans - March 21st, 1788
The Tri-State tornado outbreak wreaks havoc in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana - March 18th, 1925
New York City holds its first St. Patrick's Day parade - March 17th, 1762
The Clifford's Tower Massacre - March 16th, 1190
The escalator is patented by American inventor Jesse Wilford Reno - March 15th, 1892
The FBI releases its first “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list - March 14th, 1950
The U.S. Air Force accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on a family home in South Carolina - March 11th, 1958
A New Mexico college cancels its first graduation ceremony after its only graduate is killed - March 10th, 1893
The first Adopt-A-Highway sign is installed - March 9th, 1985
Baroness Raymonde de Laroche becomes the world's first licensed female pilot - March 8th, 1910
Robert Frost's “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is published - March 7th, 1923
Aspirin is patented in Germany - March 6th, 1899
Sharpshooter Annie Oakley breaks all existing records for women’s trap shooting - March 5th, 1922
John Lennon remarks that The Beatles are "more popular than Jesus" - March 4th, 1966
U.S. Congress approves $30,000 to test camels for military use - March 3rd, 1855
The Women's Hotel opens in New York City - March 2nd, 1903
Charlie Chaplin's corpse is stolen from a cemetery in Switzerland - March 1st, 1978
Vaudeville showman B.F. Keith opens his first theater - February 28th, 1883
Charlotte E. Ray becomes the first African American woman lawyer - February 27th, 1872
A nationwide midnight curfew goes into effect in the United States - February 26th, 1945
Australia introduces the nation's first currency, the holey dollar - February 25th, 1814
A United Airlines 747 jet rips open in mid-flight - February 24th, 1989
A convicted murderer is spared from execution due to a gallows malfunction - February 23rd, 1885
Edward Payson Weston sets off to walk from Boston to Washington DC on a bet - February 22nd, 1861
The first International Pancake Race is held - February 21st, 1950
Sidney Poitier is born - February 20th, 1927
An anti-smoking ad featuring the late Yul Brynner airs on ABC - February 19th, 1986
Elm Farm Ollie becomes the first cow to fly in an airplane - February 18th, 1930
The Volkswagen Beetle overtakes the Ford Model T to become the best-selling car in the world - February 17th, 1972
The first emergency call is placed in the United States - February 16th, 1968
Canada adopts the maple leaf flag - February 15th, 1965
The Silence of the Lambs is released in theaters - February 14th, 1991
France conducts its first nuclear test in the Sahara Desert of Algeria - February 13th, 1960
Argentine revolutionary José de San Martín triumphs at the Battle of Chacabuco in Chile - February 12th, 1817
Ruth Carol Taylor becomes the first African American flight attendant in the United States - February 11th, 1958
The New York Times starts using the slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print" - February 10th, 1897
Martial law is declared in Seattle due to anti-Chinese violence - February 9th, 1886
Atlanta Hawks point guard Anthony "Spud" Webb wins the NBA Dunk Contest - February 8th, 1986
A 2,000-year-old vase is shattered by a drunken visitor to the British Museum - February 7th, 1845
The first Olympic dog sled race is held at Lake Placid, New York - February 6th, 1932
Wartime sweet rationing finally ends in the United Kingdom - February 5th, 1953
Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army - February 4th, 1974
A Marine jet slices a ski lift cable in Italy - February 3rd, 1998
The first Groundhog Day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania - February 2nd, 1887
Texas delegates vote to secede from the Union - February 1st, 1861
A chimpanzee named Ham returns safely from space - January 31st, 1961
"The Lone Ranger" radio show premieres - January 30th, 1933
Britain's King George III dies at Windsor Castle - January 29th, 1820
The LEGO company patents the design of its signature bricks - January 28th, 1958
The corpse of Vladimir Lenin is put on display in Moscow's Red Square - January 27th, 1924
The world's largest diamond is discovered in Pretoria, South Africa - January 26th, 1905
Robert Williams becomes the first human to be killed by a robot - January 25th, 1979
A Japanese soldier is found hiding in a jungle cave on the island of Guam - January 24th, 1972
Toy company Wham-O produces the first Frisbees - January 23rd, 1957
A 3,500-year-old ancient Egyptian obelisk is erected in Central Park, New York - January 22nd, 1881
An oil well is drilled by torpedoes for the first time - January 21st, 1865
Marvin Gaye's hit song "What's Going On" is released - January 20th, 1971
A famous horned lizard dies after living 31 years entombed in the cornerstone of a Texas courthouse - January 19th, 1929
The U.S. government bans the sale of sliced bread - January 18th, 1943
The Great Brink's Robbery - January 17th, 1950
Part One of Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote novel is published in Spain - January 16th, 1605
A cartoon in Harper's Weekly uses the donkey to symbolize the Democratic Party for the first time - January 15th, 1870
The clarinet is invented in Nuremberg, Germany - January 14th, 1690
The Black Friday bushfires claim 71 lives in Australia - January 13th, 1939
A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time - January 12th, 1908
England holds its first national lottery - January 11th, 1569
Clara Peller first asks 'Where's the Beef?' in an ad campaign for Wendy's hamburgers - January 10th, 1984
Columbus mistakes three manatees for mermaids - January 9th, 1493
African American men secure the right to vote in Washington, D.C. - January 8th, 1867
Galileo discovers the moons of Jupiter - January 7th, 1610
Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome - January 6th, 1907
"Rapper's Delight" becomes the first hip-hop song to reach the Billboard Top 40 - January 5th, 1980
Two trains collide in the worst rail disaster in Pakistan’s history - January 4th, 1990
Nazi propagandist “Lord Haw-Haw” is executed for treason - January 3rd, 1946
President Nixon sets a national speed limit of 55 MPH - January 2nd, 1974
Johnny Cash plays a concert at San Quentin State Prison - January 1st, 1959
A Victorian dinner party is held inside a life-size model of an Iguanodon - December 31st, 1853
British miners are ordered to replace canaries with electronic carbon monoxide sensors - December 30th, 1986
The first YMCA in the United States opens its doors in Boston - December 29th, 1851
Scottish outlaw Rob Roy dies - December 28th, 1734
The first fire department in the Hawaiian Islands is established - December 27th, 1850
Mobster Bugsy Siegel opens the Flamingo Hotel - December 26th, 1946
Rod Serling is born - December 25th, 1924
President Coolidge lights the first national Christmas tree - December 24th, 1923
Vincent van Gogh cuts off part of his ear - December 23rd, 1888
Baby Colo becomes the first gorilla born in captivity - December 22nd, 1956
Disney's The Three Caballeros premieres in Mexico City - December 21st, 1944
Queen Elizabeth II urges the Prince and Princess of Wales to seek an early divorce - December 20th, 1995
The National Hockey League starts its first season - December 19th, 1917
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! premieres on CBS - December 18th, 1966
The first issue of Vogue magazine is published - December 17th, 1892
The Haiyuan earthquake devastates the Gansu province in China - December 16th, 1920
Bandleader Glenn Miller vanishes over the English Channel - December 15th, 1944
Wilma Mankiller becomes the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation - December 14th, 1985
General Charles Lee is captured at Widow White's Tavern - December 13th, 1776
The Mona Lisa is recovered two years after its theft from the Louvre - December 12th, 1913
Nitrous oxide is used in dentistry for the first time - December 11th, 1844
Emily Dickinson is born - December 10th, 1830
A Charlie Brown Christmas airs for the first time - December 9th, 1965
The Republic of China moves its capital from Nanjing to Taipei City, Taiwan - December 8th, 1949
The Apollo 17 crew takes the famous "Blue Marble" photo of the Earth - December 7th, 1972
Inventor Thomas Edison makes the first sound recording with his phonograph - December 6th, 1877
Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna - December 5th, 1791
The Museum of Modern Art realizes a work by Matisse had been hung upside down - December 4th, 1961
Eleven people are trampled at a concert by The Who - December 3rd, 1979
Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the U.S. - December 2nd, 1867
Antarctica is declared a military-free continent - December 1st, 1959
Barbados declares its independence from Great Britain - November 30th, 1966
James Jay invents an invisible ink that aids George Washington - November 29th, 1775
The first American automobile race is held in Chicago - November 28th, 1895
George Custer massacres peaceful Cheyenne near the Washita River - November 27th, 1868
FDR establishes the modern Thanksgiving holiday - November 26th, 1941
Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" opens in London - November 25th, 1952
Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights modern day Tasmania - November 24th, 1642
The world’s first jukebox is installed at a bar in San Francisco - November 23rd, 1889
Star Trek breaks a cultural barrier by airing an interracial kiss - November 22nd, 1968
Ella Fitzgerald wins Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater - November 21st, 1934
Garrett Morgan patents the three-position traffic signal - November 20th, 1923
Pop duo Milli Vanilli is stripped of their Grammy Award - November 19th, 1990
William Tell allegedly shoots an apple off his son's head - November 18th, 1307
TV viewers are outraged when a tense football game is cut off to air Heidi - November 17th, 1968
Paul McCartney releases "Wonderful Christmastime" - November 16th, 1979
A member of the Indiana Textbook Commission calls Robin Hood a communist - November 15th, 1953
Samuel Pepys records the first description of a blood transfusion - November 14th, 1666
Chemical technician Karen Silkwood dies in a mysterious car wreck - November 13th, 1974
"Walt Disney's Song of South premieres in Atlanta, Georgia - November 12th, 1946 "
Billie Holiday's first hit song, "Riffin' the Scotch", is released - November 11th, 1933
Mary Anderson patents the windshield wiper - November 10th, 1903
Beer brewer Alfred Heineken is kidnapped and held for ransom - November 9th, 1983
HBO is launched as the first pay-TV network - November 8th, 1972
Paris makes it illegal for women to wear trousers - November 7th, 1800
Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca washes ashore in Texas - November 6th, 1528
Parker Brothers launches the Monopoly board game - November 5th, 1935
British poet Wilfred Owen is killed in action - November 4th, 1918
"SOS is approved as the worldwide distress signal - November 3rd, 1906 "
Howard Hughes’s “Spruce Goose” takes its maiden flight - November 2nd, 1947
The first issue of Ebony magazine is published - November 1st, 1945
Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini dies - October 31st, 1926
The "Halloween Storm" racks the Atlantic seaboard - October 30th, 1991
The stock market crashes on “Black Tuesday” - October 29th, 1929
Heavy snowfall traps the Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada Mountains - October 28th, 1846
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs for the first time - October 27th, 1966
Deadly Smog appears in Donora, Pennsylvania - October 26th, 1948
John Carpenter's Halloween premieres in Kansas City, Missouri - October 25th, 1978
An elderly teacher takes the first barrel ride down Niagara Falls - October 24th, 1901
Musician "Weird Al" Yankovic is born - October 23rd, 1959
The first modern parachute jump is made above Paris - October 22nd, 1797
The Tragedy of Aberfan - October 21st, 1966
The first automated post office in the U.S. opens in Providence, Rhode Island - October 20th, 1960
"Pomp and Circumstance" is performed for the first time - October 19th, 1901
African American poet Phillis Wheatley is freed from slavery - October 18th, 1773
A shoemaker tricks German soldiers into helping him rob a mayor - October 17th, 1906
The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio is founded - October 16th, 1923
An 11-year-old girl implores Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard - October 15th, 1860
The Amityville murders trial begins - October 14th, 1975
Paddington Bear arrives in London - October 13th, 1958
The nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" is published - October 12th, 1609
Saturday Night Live premieres - October 11th, 1975
The U.S. Naval Academy admits its first students - October 10th, 1845
A meteorite crashes into a parked car in Peekskill, New York - October 9th, 1992
The first women's prison run by women opens in Indiana - October 8th, 1873
The musical Cats debuts on Broadway - October 7th, 1982
President Kennedy advises Americans to build fallout shelters - October 6th, 1961
Monty Python's Flying Circus begins airing on BBC TV - October 5th, 1969
The Brooklyn Dodgers win their first (and only) World Series - October 4th, 1955
Sinéad O’Connor rips up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live - October 3rd, 1992
A snail-powered telegraph is demonstrated in France - October 2nd, 1851
Little Golden Books begins publishing - October 1st, 1942
Joseph Marion Hernández becomes the first Hispanic person elected to Congress - September 30th, 1822
Cyanide-laced Tylenol kills multiple people - September 29th, 1982
Riots break out in Montreal to protest against compulsory smallpox vaccination - September 28th, 1885
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is published - September 27th, 1962
A beloved dolphin becomes the first individual sea creature protected by law - September 26th, 1904
The first museum survey of American pop art debuts - September 25th, 1962
The prophet Muhammad completes his Hegira - September 24th, 622
FDR defends his dog in a speech- September 23rd, 1944
The first Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois - September 22nd, 1985
J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is published in London - September 21st, 1937
Ferdinand Magellan sets sail on the first successful journey to circumnavigate the globe - September 20th, 1519
New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote - September 19th, 1893
Scott Joplin granted copyright for his "Maple Leaf Rag" - September 18th, 1899
A San Francisco resident proclaims himself Emperor of the United States of America - September 17th, 1859
A Scottish golfer scores the first recorded hole-in-one - September 16th, 1869
Muhammad Ali wins his third and final world heavyweight championship - September 15th, 1978
The Great Fire of Moscow begins as Napoleon enters the city and retreating Russians burn it - September 14th, 1812
The Straw Hat Riot begins in New York City as people protest the right to wear straw hats - September 13th, 1922
Four teens discover 17,000-year-old cave drawings - September 12th, 1940
Florence Chadwick becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions- September 11th, 1951
The Lattimer Massacre - September 10th, 1897
Alexander Twilight becomes the first African American to receive a BA degree - September 9th, 1823
First appearance of the comic strip "Blondie" - September 8th, 1930
Rap artist Tupac Shakur shot multiple times - September 7th, 1996
King Charles II spends a day hiding in an oak tree - September 6th, 1651
Jim Henson's "The Muppet Show" premieres on television - September 5th, 1976
George Eastman patents the first roll-film camera - September 4th, 1888
Wilderness Act signed into U.S. law - September 3rd, 1964
The Principality of Sealand is established - September 2nd, 1967
Emma Nutt becomes the first female telephone operator - September 1st, 1878
New Episodes Coming Soon
Tunguska event / First leap second added to UTC - June 30
Moctezuma II died / Globe Theatre burned down - June 29
Stonewall raid and riots / "The Amos 'n' Andy Show" premiered - June 28
E.R. Braithwaite born / Joseph Smith assassinated - June 27
Big Bill Broonzy born / Winnipeg general strike ended - June 26
First photo to illustrate newspaper report taken / Rainbow flag flown for first time - June 25
Dancing mania outbreak / Siamese Revolution of 1932 - June 24
Battle of Zacatecas / Sholes, Glidden, and Soulé awarded typewriter patent - June 23
Galileo sentenced by Inquisition / Octavia E. Butler born - June 22
Ferris wheel debuted / Jean-Paul Sartre born - June 21
Siege of the Legation Quarter began / "Jaws" released - June 20
Abolition of slavery announced in Texas (Juneteenth) / Joshua Nkomo born - June 19
Kasato Maru arrived at Santos / Canterbury monks observed lunar event - June 18
Mumtaz Mahal died / Wairau Incident - June 17
Valentina Tereshkova became first woman in space / Abraham Lincoln gave House Divided speech - June 16
General Slocum disaster / László Bíró patented ballpoint pen in Britain - June 15
Bear Flag Revolt began / Trade Unions Act passed in Canada - June 14
Luis W. Alvarez born / First Pentagon Papers excerpts printed in NY Times - June 13
Anne Frank born / Djuna Barnes born - June 12
Occupation of Alcatraz ended / Broad Street Riot - June 11
Myall Creek massacre / African National Congress published Mandela's message - June 10
Bertha von Suttner born / Donald Duck debuted - June 9
Nick Út took “napalm girl” photo / Laki eruption began - June 8
Paul Blobel (of Aktion 1005) executed / Gwendolyn Brooks born - June 7
"Tetris" released / Kamehameha III assumes throne - June 6
First AIDS report / Pancho Villa born - June 5
Government junta of Chile began / Emily Davison trampled - June 4
Zoot Suit Riots began / Memphis Minnie born - June 3
Pemulwuy died / Surveyor 1 landed on moon - June 2
Isabella Baumfree took name Sojourner Truth / Heimlich Maneuver published - June 1
Samuel Pepys' last diary entry / Roman catacombs rediscovered - May 31
First known summit of Mount Everest / Republic of Biafra established - May 30
Solar eclipse helped prove general relativity / Fall of Constantinople - May 29
Ruby Payne-Scott born / Eliza Ann Gardner born - May 28
Battle of Tsushima / Chrysler Building completed - May 27
Frankie Manning born / "Dracula" published - May 26
Organisation of African Unity founded / Rosario Castellanos born - May 25
First Eurovision Song Contest / Leon Trotsky assassination attempt - May 24
Second Defenestration of Prague / Seventeen Point Agreement signed - May 23
Great Chilean Earthquake / Lassen Peak erupted - May 22
White Night riots / Great Atlanta Fire - May 21
Amelia Earhart began solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic / Cuba gained independence from U.S. - May 20
Lorraine Hansberry born / New England's Dark Day - May 19
Antikythera mechanism discovered / Jackie Cochran broke sound barrier - May 18
First Kentucky Derby / Ground broke on CERN lab - May 17
First Academy Awards ceremony / May 16 Notification issued - May 16
Mickey and Minnie Mouse debuted / Maria Reiche born - May 15
Israel created / Last witchcraft trial in U.S. - May 14
Philadelphia MOVE bombing / Great Comet of 1861 discovered - May 13
Dorothy Hodgkin born / Konrad Zuse unveils Z3 - May 12
Diamond Sutra printed / William Grant Still born - May 11
Astor Place Riot / Charleston Riot of 1919 - May 10
First public demonstration of the Kinetoscope / Thomas Blood attempted Crown Jewels theft - May 9
Sétif and Guelma massacre began / Buddhist crisis began - May 8
Munch's 'The Scream' recovered / Cult of the Supreme Being established - May 7
Katie Sandwina born / Chinese Exclusion Act signed - May 6
Indian Vaccination Act / Stratton brothers trial began - May 5
May Fourth Incident / Haymarket affair - May 4
"Raja Harischandra" released / Edo period ended - May 3
Isabel González born / First ascent of Shishapangma - May 2
Cato Street Conspirators executed / "Species Plantarum" published - May 1
Bristol Bus Boycott / K-19 commissioned - April 30
First African-American college chartered / Los Angeles Riots began - April 29
Fanny and Stella arrested / Mutiny on the Bounty - April 28
Sultana explosion / Jessie Redmon Fauset born - April 27
Chernobyl disaster / Shapley-Curtis debate - April 26
Watson and Crick's article on discovery of DNA's structure published / Ella Fitzgerald born - April 25
Kinder Scout mass trespass / Armenian Genocide began - April 24
New Coke introduced / Bavarian beer purity law issued - April 23
TV coverage of McCarthy hearings began / Chlorine gas released at Second Battle of Ypres - April 22
Mattachine Society "sip-in" / Daily Mail published 'surgeon's photograph' - April 21
Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" anti-immigration speech / League of Nations dissolved - April 20
Oliver Haugh executed by electric chair / Pratt Street Riot - April 19
Germantown Quaker Petition Against Slavery / Zimbabwe gained independence - April 18
Constantin von Economo announced the spread of encephalitis lethargica / Peak District became UK's first national park - April 17
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun born / First passenger rail service in India opened - April 16
Tiananmen Square protests began / Apollo 13 reached farthest distance from Earth - April 15
Violet Jessop survived sinking Titanic / Bussa's Rebellion - April 14
Colfax massacre / CIA authorizes MK-Ultra - April 13
Yuri Gagarin became first person in space / First animal patented in the U.S. - April 12
Idi Amin deposed / Percy Lavon Julian born - April 11
Statute of Anne went into effect / Mount Tambora eruption peaked - April 10
Mary Winston Jackson born / African Methodist Episcopal Church founded - April 9
Venus de Milo discovered / Helen Joseph born - April 8
Rwandan Genocide began / Tito proclaimed Yugoslav president for life - April 7
Dred and Harriet Scott filed petitions to sue for freedom / Leonora Carrington born - April 6
Pocahontas married John Rolfe / Ripple Rock explosion - April 5
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave Beyond Vietnam speech / Margaret Oliphant born - April 4
Pony express founded / Jeju Uprising began - April 3
Sverdlovsk anthrax leak / Bombing of Naco - April 2
First TV picture from space / Wangari Maathai born - April 1
Hays Code ratified / Jack Johnson born - March 31
Dr. Crawford Long first used ether anesthesia / Meter defined - March 30
Sepoy Rebellion / Malagasy Uprising began - March 29
Fred Hoyle coined "big bang" / Three Mile Island accident - March 28
"Typhoid Mary" Mallon quarantined for final time / Good Friday earthquake - March 27
The "Gerry-mander" was born / Elsa Brändström born - March 26
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire / Saturn's moon Titan discovered - March 25
1921 Women's Olympiad began / Exxon Valdez oil spill - March 24
Henry "Box" Brown mailed himself to freedom / Walter Rodney born - March 23
Yuan Shikai abdicated / Anne Hutchinson excommunicated - March 22
Alcatraz closed / West Bank epidemic began - March 21
Fred Rogers was born / Virginia Sterilization Act of 1924 approved - March 20
Harlem Riot of 1935 / Sagrada Família construction began - March 19
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist / First spacewalk - March 18
Bayard Rustin born / Phone call in Dugway Sheep Incident - March 17
My Lai Massacre / Gustav III shot - March 16
Julius Caesar assassinated / Ogaden War ended - March 15
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte received an M.D. / Gold Standard Act signed - March 14
Deaf President Now protest ended / Fall of Nojpetén - March 13
Salt March began / Girl Scouts founded - March 12
First public basketball game / First case of Spanish flu reported in U.S. - March 11
Lillian Wald born / Courrières mine disaster - March 10
Barbie doll introduced / Battle of Columbus - March 9
February Revolution Began / Suez Canal reopened - March 8
Bloody Sunday in Selma / 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu - March 7
Cassie Chadwick trial started / Dmitri Mendeleev presented periodic table - March 6
Boston Massacre / Nikola Tesla ball lightning explanation - March 5
Hindenburg's first flight / Miriam Makeba born - March 4
Delta Sigma Theta's first public act / Americans find oil in Saudi Arabia - March 3
Last attempted assassination of Queen Victoria / First test flight of the Concorde - March 2
Lindbergh baby kidnapped / First U.S. census - March 1
Tichborne trial ended / Olof Palme assassinated - Feb. 28
Letter published on discovery of the neutron / Wounded Knee Incident began - Feb. 27
First jazz recording made / General public first saw Kinemacolor - Feb. 26
Hiram Revels became first African-American U.S. senator / Corazon Aquino became president of Philippines - Feb. 25
Marbury v. Madison decided / Rebecca Lee Crumpler passed final oral exams - Feb. 24
Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine trials began / Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush began - Feb. 23
Members of White Rose executed / Zitkála-Šá born - Feb. 22
Malcolm X assassinated / Nina Simone born - February 21
Ansel Adams born / Angelina Grimké born - February 20
Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 / 'The Feminine Mystique' published - Feb. 19
Pluto discovered / Audre Lorde born - Feb. 18
The Armory Show opened in New York City / Weenen massacre - Feb. 17
Fidel Castro sworn in as Cuban prime minister / First synthetic diamonds made - February 16
John "Black" Caesar died / Distant Early Warning Line legislation signed - February 15
Telephone Patent Dispute began / Asbestos strike began - February 14
Massacre of Glencoe / Sarojini Naidu born - February 13
NAACP founded / Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn arrested - February 12
Emma Goldman arrested / BBC broadcasts first sci-fi program - February 11
St. Scholastica Day Riots began / Deep Blue won first chess game against world champion - February 10
The Mud March / Carmen Miranda born - February 9
Dawes Act signed into law / Leo Baekeland announced Bakelite - February 8
Negro History Week launched / Bonfire of the Vanities - February 7