Historical Events

Space

Moon Landing

Apollo 11 landed on the Moon

1969-07-20 Details →

Space

First Human in Space

Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1

1961-04-12 Details →

Space

First Spacewalk

Alexei Leonov floated in space for 12 minutes outside Voskhod 2

1965-03-18 Details →

Space

Sputnik Launched

The Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite

1957-10-04 Details →

Space

Apollo 13 Explosion

An oxygen tank exploded mid-mission, forcing a dramatic emergency return

1970-04-13 Details →

Space

Challenger Disaster

Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew

1986-01-28 Details →

Space

Columbia Disaster

Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, killing all seven crew

2003-02-01 Details →

Space

First Space Shuttle Flight

Space Shuttle Columbia completed the first orbital shuttle mission

1981-04-12 Details →

Space

Voyager 1 Launched

NASA launched Voyager 1, which later became the first human-made object to leave the solar system

1977-09-05 Details →

Space

Hubble Space Telescope Launched

The Hubble Space Telescope was deployed from Discovery, transforming astronomy

1990-04-24 Details →

Space

Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover touched down inside Gale Crater on Mars

2012-08-06 Details →

Space

First Black Hole Photograph

The Event Horizon Telescope captured the first image of a black hole in galaxy M87

2019-04-10 Details →

Space

James Webb Telescope Launched

The most powerful space telescope ever built launched from French Guiana

2021-12-25 Details →

Space

New Horizons Pluto Flyby

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft made the first close flyby of Pluto

2015-07-14 Details →

Space

Falcon Heavy First Launch

SpaceX launched Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful operational rocket

2018-02-06 Details →

Space

First ISS Crew Arrives

The first long-duration crew arrived at the International Space Station

2000-11-02 Details →

Space

First Flight on Another Planet

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter completed the first powered flight on Mars

2021-04-19 Details →

Space

Apollo 1 Fire

A cabin fire during a launch rehearsal killed three NASA astronauts

1967-01-27 Details →

Space

Voyager 2 Reaches Neptune

Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune, the only spacecraft to do so

1989-08-25 Details →

Space

Artemis I Launched

NASA launched the first Artemis mission, sending Orion around the Moon without crew

2022-11-16 Details →

Space

First Mars Close-Up Photos

Mariner 4 returned the first close-up photographs of the Martian surface

1965-07-14 Details →

Space

First Space Tourist

Dennis Tito became the first fare-paying passenger to reach the ISS aboard a Soyuz

2001-04-28 Details →

Science

Penicillin Discovered

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin at St Mary's Hospital

1928-09-28 Details →

Science

DNA Double Helix Discovered

Watson and Crick described the double-helix structure of DNA

1953-04-25 Details →

Science

First Nuclear Reactor

The Chicago Pile-1 achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction

1942-12-02 Details →

Science

First Atomic Bomb Test

The Trinity test detonated the first nuclear weapon in New Mexico

1945-07-16 Details →

Science

Einstein's Special Relativity

Albert Einstein published the special theory of relativity, redefining space and time

1905-09-26 Details →

Science

On the Origin of Species Published

Charles Darwin published his theory of natural selection and evolution

1859-11-24 Details →

Science

Newton's Principia Published

Isaac Newton published Principia Mathematica, laying the foundations of classical mechanics

1687-07-05 Details →

Science

Periodic Table Created

Dmitri Mendeleev published the first widely recognized periodic table of elements

1869-03-06 Details →

Science

X-Rays Discovered

Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays while experimenting with cathode ray tubes

1895-11-08 Details →

Science

Radio Demonstrated

Guglielmo Marconi successfully transmitted radio signals over long distances

1895-05-07 Details →

Science

Telephone Invented

Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call

1876-03-10 Details →

Science

Edison Perfects the Light Bulb

Thomas Edison successfully demonstrated a practical incandescent light bulb

1879-10-21 Details →

Science

Quantum Theory Introduced

Max Planck proposed that energy is quantized, founding quantum mechanics

1900-12-14 Details →

Science

Higgs Boson Discovered

CERN announced experimental confirmation of the Higgs boson particle

2012-07-04 Details →

Science

Gravitational Waves Detected

LIGO detected gravitational waves for the first time, confirming Einstein's prediction

2016-02-11 Details →

Science

Radioactivity Discovered

Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity while studying uranium salts

1896-03-01 Details →

Science

Electron Discovered

J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, the first subatomic particle identified

1897-04-30 Details →

Science

Big Bang Background Radiation Found

Penzias and Wilson discovered cosmic microwave background radiation, confirming the Big Bang

1964-05-20 Details →

Science

Galileo Uses the Telescope

Galileo Galilei first turned an astronomical telescope to the night sky, discovering Jupiter's moons

1609-08-25 Details →

Science

Heliocentric Model Published

Copernicus published his theory that the Earth orbits the Sun, not the other way around

1543-05-24 Details →

Science

Watt's Steam Engine Patented

James Watt patented his improved steam engine, launching the Industrial Revolution

1769-01-05 Details →

Science

Transistor Invented

Bell Labs scientists invented the transistor, the building block of modern electronics

1947-12-16 Details →

Medicine

Smallpox Declared Eradicated

WHO officially declared smallpox eradicated - the only human disease completely eliminated

1980-05-08 Details →

Medicine

Polio Vaccine Announced

Jonas Salk's polio vaccine was declared safe and effective, beginning the end of polio

1955-04-12 Details →

Medicine

Insulin Discovered

Banting and Best isolated insulin, revolutionizing treatment of diabetes

1921-10-31 Details →

Medicine

First Heart Transplant

Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant in Cape Town

1967-12-03 Details →

Medicine

First IVF Baby Born

Louise Brown became the world's first baby born through in vitro fertilization

1978-07-25 Details →

Medicine

AIDS First Identified

CDC published the first report describing what would become known as the AIDS epidemic

1981-06-05 Details →

Medicine

HIV Virus Identified

Luc Montagnier and colleagues identified the HIV retrovirus as the cause of AIDS

1983-05-20 Details →

Medicine

Human Genome Mapped

Scientists announced the completion of the Human Genome Project, mapping all human DNA

2003-04-14 Details →

Medicine

CRISPR Gene Editing Developed

Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier published the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique

2012-06-28 Details →

Medicine

Dolly the Sheep Cloned

Scientists at the Roslin Institute announced the first successful cloning of a mammal

1997-02-22 Details →

Medicine

mRNA COVID Vaccine Authorized

The FDA granted emergency authorization to the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19

2020-12-11 Details →

Medicine

COVID-19 Pandemic Declared

WHO declared a global pandemic

2020-03-11 Details →

Medicine

Aspirin Synthesized

Felix Hoffmann at Bayer synthesized acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) in pure stable form

1897-08-10 Details →

Medicine

First Public Anesthesia Demonstration

William Morton publicly demonstrated ether anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital

1846-10-16 Details →

Medicine

Antiseptic Surgery Introduced

Joseph Lister published his work on antiseptic surgical techniques, saving millions of lives

1867-03-16 Details →

Medicine

First MRI Scan of a Human

Researchers produced the first MRI image of a live human body

1977-07-03 Details →

Medicine

Blood Types Discovered

Karl Landsteiner discovered the ABO blood group system, making safe transfusions possible

1901-06-14 Details →

Technology

World Wide Web Invented

Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web

1989-03-12 Details →

Technology

iPhone Launched

Apple unveiled the first iPhone

2007-01-09 Details →

Technology

First Personal Computer

The Altair 8800 was sold as a kit, sparking the personal computer revolution

1975-01-01 Details →

Technology

First Email Sent

Ray Tomlinson sent the first email between two computers on ARPANET

1971-10-29 Details →

Technology

ARPANET First Message

The first message was sent over ARPANET, the precursor to the internet

1969-10-29 Details →

Technology

First Website Goes Online

The world's first website went live at CERN, created by Tim Berners-Lee

1991-08-06 Details →

Technology

Google Founded

Larry Page and Sergey Brin incorporated Google

1998-09-04 Details →

Technology

Facebook Launched

Mark Zuckerberg launched TheFacebook from his Harvard dorm room

2004-02-04 Details →

Technology

YouTube Launched

YouTube went online, transforming how the world shares and watches video

2005-02-14 Details →

Technology

Twitter Launched

Twitter sent its first tweet and opened to the public

2006-03-21 Details →

Technology

Wikipedia Launched

Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia as a free online encyclopedia

2001-01-15 Details →

Technology

Linux Kernel Announced

Linus Torvalds announced the Linux kernel, launching the open-source operating system

1991-08-25 Details →

Technology

Bitcoin Genesis Block

Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first Bitcoin block, creating the first cryptocurrency

2009-01-03 Details →

Technology

First Text Message Sent

Neil Papworth sent the first SMS text message reading 'Merry Christmas'

1992-12-03 Details →

Technology

ChatGPT Launched

OpenAI released ChatGPT, triggering a global wave of AI adoption

2022-11-30 Details →

Technology

Apple Macintosh Launched

Apple introduced the Macintosh with its iconic 1984 TV advertisement and graphical interface

1984-01-24 Details →

Technology

Windows 1.0 Launched

Microsoft released Windows 1.0, its first graphical operating environment

1985-11-20 Details →

Technology

Apple Founded

Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer Company

1976-04-01 Details →

Technology

Microsoft Founded

Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico

1975-04-04 Details →

Technology

Amazon Founded

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon as an online bookstore in his garage

1994-07-05 Details →

Technology

Pong Released

Atari's Pong became the first commercially successful video game arcade cabinet

1972-11-29 Details →

Technology

Netflix Founded

Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded Netflix as a DVD-by-mail service

1997-08-29 Details →

Technology

Netflix Streaming Launched

Netflix launched its streaming video service, beginning the end of DVD rentals

2007-01-15 Details →

Technology

Spotify Launched

Spotify launched in Europe, transforming the music industry with streaming

2008-10-07 Details →

Technology

Instagram Launched

Instagram launched on the App Store and gained 25,000 users on day one

2010-10-06 Details →

Technology

First Telegraph Message

Samuel Morse sent 'What hath God wrought' as the first long-distance telegraph message

1844-05-24 Details →

Technology

First Permanent Photograph

Joseph Nicephore Niepce created the first surviving permanent photograph

1826-07-01 Details →

Technology

Printing Press Invented

Johannes Gutenberg developed the movable-type printing press in Europe

1440-01-01 Details →

Technology

First Hard Disk Drive

IBM shipped the 350 Disk File, the first commercial hard disk drive, storing 5 MB

1956-09-13 Details →

Technology

OpenAI Founded

Sam Altman, Elon Musk and others co-founded OpenAI to develop safe artificial intelligence

2015-12-11 Details →

War

End of World War II

Japan surrendered, ending the deadliest conflict in history

1945-08-15 Details →

War

Armistice - End of World War I

The armistice ending the Great War was signed at 11am

1918-11-11 Details →

War

D-Day Landings

Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest seaborne invasion in history

1944-06-06 Details →

War

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

1941-12-07 Details →

War

Hiroshima Atomic Bombing

The United States dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare on Hiroshima

1945-08-06 Details →

War

September 11 Attacks

Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes, killing nearly 3,000 people in the USA

2001-09-11 Details →

War

Korean War Begins

North Korean forces crossed the 38th parallel, starting the Korean War

1950-06-25 Details →

War

Fall of Saigon

North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, ending the Vietnam War

1975-04-30 Details →

War

Gulf War Begins

Iraq invaded Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War and a UN-authorized response

1990-08-02 Details →

War

Iraq War Begins

US-led coalition invaded Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom

2003-03-20 Details →

War

Afghanistan War Begins

US-led coalition launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan after September 11

2001-10-07 Details →

War

Battle of Hastings

William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II, changing English history forever

1066-10-14 Details →

War

Battle of Waterloo

Napoleon Bonaparte suffered his final defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington

1815-06-18 Details →

War

American Civil War Begins

Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter, starting the US Civil War

1861-04-12 Details →

War

American Civil War Ends

Confederate General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War

1865-04-09 Details →

War

Cuban Missile Crisis

The US and USSR entered a tense 13-day standoff over Soviet missiles in Cuba

1962-10-16 Details →

War

Falklands War Begins

Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, starting the 74-day war with Britain

1982-04-02 Details →

War

Dunkirk Evacuation

Operation Dynamo began evacuating over 330,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk

1940-05-26 Details →

War

Battle of Stalingrad Begins

The Battle of Stalingrad began - the bloodiest battle in human history

1942-08-23 Details →

War

Korean War Armistice

An armistice was signed ending active fighting in the Korean War

1953-07-27 Details →

War

Spanish Civil War Begins

General Francisco Franco led a military uprising against Spain's republic

1936-07-17 Details →

War

Peace of Westphalia

The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War and founded the modern nation-state system

1648-10-24 Details →

War

American Revolution Begins

The 'shot heard round the world' at Lexington and Concord started the American Revolution

1775-04-19 Details →

Politics

US Declaration of Independence

The United States declared independence from Britain

1776-07-04 Details →

Politics

Fall of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was officially dissolved on Christmas Day

1991-12-25 Details →

Politics

Berlin Wall Fell

The Berlin Wall came down, ending the Cold War divide

1989-11-09 Details →

Politics

Nelson Mandela Released

Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in prison

1990-02-11 Details →

Politics

Magna Carta Signed

King John of England signed the Magna Carta, establishing that everyone is subject to the law

1215-06-15 Details →

Politics

Storming of the Bastille

Parisian revolutionaries stormed the Bastille fortress, igniting the French Revolution

1789-07-14 Details →

Politics

Declaration of the Rights of Man

France's National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

1789-08-26 Details →

Politics

Russian Revolution

Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd, establishing the world's first communist government

1917-11-07 Details →

Politics

People's Republic of China Founded

Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China from Tiananmen Gate

1949-10-01 Details →

Politics

United Nations Founded

The United Nations Charter came into force, establishing the international organization

1945-10-24 Details →

Politics

German Reunification

East and West Germany were formally reunified after 45 years of division

1990-10-03 Details →

Politics

Maastricht Treaty Signed

The Maastricht Treaty was signed, creating the European Union

1992-02-07 Details →

Politics

Brexit Vote

The UK voted 52-48 to leave the European Union in a historic referendum

2016-06-23 Details →

Politics

India's Independence

India gained independence from British rule, with Jawaharlal Nehru as first Prime Minister

1947-08-15 Details →

Politics

Israel Founded

David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel

1948-05-14 Details →

Politics

NATO Founded

The North Atlantic Treaty was signed, creating the NATO military alliance

1949-04-04 Details →

Politics

JFK Assassinated

US President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas

1963-11-22 Details →

Politics

Nixon Resigns

Richard Nixon announced his resignation as US President over the Watergate scandal

1974-08-09 Details →

Politics

Obama Elected President

Barack Obama became the first African American elected President of the United States

2008-11-04 Details →

Politics

Women's Suffrage in the USA

The 19th Amendment was ratified, giving American women the right to vote

1920-08-18 Details →

Politics

Truman Doctrine - Cold War Begins

President Truman's address to Congress marked the formal beginning of the Cold War

1947-03-12 Details →

Politics

Treaty of Versailles Signed

The Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I and imposed harsh conditions on Germany

1919-06-28 Details →

Politics

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

1948-12-10 Details →

Politics

Treaty of Rome - Common Market

The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community

1957-03-25 Details →

Politics

Apartheid Formally Ends

South Africa's parliament repealed the last apartheid laws

1991-06-17 Details →

Politics

Mandela Elected President

Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first democratically elected president

1994-05-10 Details →

Politics

Paris Climate Agreement

196 parties adopted the Paris Agreement on climate change at COP21

2015-12-12 Details →

Politics

Hong Kong Handover

The UK handed sovereignty over Hong Kong to China after 156 years of British rule

1997-07-01 Details →

Politics

World Health Organization Founded

The WHO was established as a specialized agency of the United Nations

1948-04-07 Details →

Politics

Cuban Revolution Succeeds

Fidel Castro's forces entered Havana as Batista fled, completing the Cuban Revolution

1959-01-08 Details →

Politics

Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor

Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French in Notre-Dame Cathedral

1804-12-02 Details →

Politics

League of Nations Founded

The League of Nations came into being, the world's first international peacekeeping organization

1920-01-10 Details →

Politics

Marshall Plan Signed

President Truman signed the Marshall Plan, providing $13 billion to rebuild postwar Europe

1948-04-03 Details →

Politics

Schengen Agreement Signed

Five European nations signed the Schengen Agreement, abolishing passport controls

1985-06-14 Details →

Politics

Kyoto Protocol Adopted

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted, the first international treaty binding countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions

1997-12-11 Details →

Politics

Tiananmen Square Massacre

Chinese troops opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square

1989-06-04 Details →

Society

I Have a Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his landmark speech at the March on Washington

1963-08-28 Details →

Society

US Civil Rights Act Signed

President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin

1964-07-02 Details →

Society

Stonewall Riots

Patrons of the Stonewall Inn resisted police raids, sparking the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement

1969-06-28 Details →

Society

Gandhi's Salt March

Mahatma Gandhi began his 240-mile Salt March to protest British colonial salt taxes

1930-03-12 Details →

Society

Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis

1968-04-04 Details →

Society

Women's Suffrage in the UK

The Representation of the People Act gave British women over 30 the right to vote

1918-02-06 Details →

Society

Me Too Goes Viral

The MeToo hashtag spread globally following allegations against Harvey Weinstein

2017-10-15 Details →

Society

Occupy Wall Street

Protesters occupied Zuccotti Park in New York, launching the Occupy movement against inequality

2011-09-17 Details →

Society

Apartheid System Established

South Africa's National Party enacted the first formal apartheid laws

1948-06-01 Details →

Society

Emancipation Proclamation

President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring enslaved people free

1863-01-01 Details →

Society

Slavery Abolished in the British Empire

The Slavery Abolition Act came into effect throughout the British Empire

1834-08-01 Details →

Society

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide global action to 2030

2015-09-25 Details →

Exploration

First Powered Flight

Wright Brothers flew the first powered aircraft at Kitty Hawk

1903-12-17 Details →

Exploration

Titanic Sank

RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic

1912-04-15 Details →

Exploration

First Solo Transatlantic Flight

Charles Lindbergh completed the first nonstop transatlantic flight

1927-05-21 Details →

Exploration

Columbus Reaches the Americas

Christopher Columbus's fleet made landfall in the Bahamas, connecting the Old and New Worlds

1492-10-12 Details →

Exploration

First Circumnavigation Completed

Elcano completed Magellan's expedition - the first circumnavigation of the Earth

1522-09-06 Details →

Exploration

Everest Summited

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest

1953-05-29 Details →

Exploration

South Pole First Reached

Roald Amundsen's expedition became the first to reach the geographic South Pole

1911-12-14 Details →

Exploration

Panama Canal Opens

The Panama Canal opened, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

1914-08-15 Details →

Exploration

Suez Canal Opens

The Suez Canal opened after 10 years of construction, linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea

1869-11-17 Details →

Exploration

Transcontinental Railroad Completed

The golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit, completing the first US transcontinental railroad

1869-05-10 Details →

Exploration

Deepest Ocean Dive

Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh descended to the deepest point in the ocean in bathyscaphe Trieste

1960-01-23 Details →

Exploration

Titanic Wreck Discovered

Robert Ballard's team located the wreck of the Titanic 2.4 miles below the Atlantic surface

1985-09-01 Details →

Exploration

North Pole Reached

Robert Peary claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole

1909-04-06 Details →

Exploration

Vasco da Gama Reaches India

Vasco da Gama arrived in Calicut, India, establishing a sea route from Europe to Asia

1498-05-20 Details →

Exploration

Cook Claims Australia

Captain James Cook raised the British flag in eastern Australia, claiming it for the Crown

1770-08-22 Details →

Exploration

Lewis and Clark Set Out

The Corps of Discovery departed to explore and map the newly acquired western territories

1804-05-14 Details →

Exploration

Shackleton's Endurance Voyage

Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Endurance for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

1914-12-05 Details →

Exploration

Pacific Ocean First Seen by Europeans

Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the New World

1513-09-25 Details →

Exploration

First Solo Round-the-World Sail

Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world

1969-04-22 Details →

Exploration

First to Survive Niagara in a Barrel

Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel

1901-10-24 Details →

Exploration

Cape of Good Hope Rounded

Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope

1488-02-03 Details →

Disaster

San Francisco Earthquake

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent fires destroyed most of San Francisco

1906-04-18 Details →

Disaster

Mount St. Helens Erupts

Mount St. Helens erupted in the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in US history

1980-05-18 Details →

Disaster

Krakatoa Erupts

The Krakatoa eruption was heard 3,000 miles away and caused a global temperature drop

1883-08-27 Details →

Disaster

Indian Ocean Tsunami

A magnitude 9.1 earthquake triggered a tsunami killing over 225,000 people across 14 countries

2004-12-26 Details →

Disaster

Haiti Earthquake

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, killing over 200,000 people

2010-01-12 Details →

Disaster

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina made landfall, flooding New Orleans and killing over 1,800 people

2005-08-29 Details →

Disaster

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

A tsunami triggered by the Tohoku earthquake caused three nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima

2011-03-11 Details →

Disaster

Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

Reactor 4 at Chernobyl exploded, causing the worst nuclear disaster in history

1986-04-26 Details →

Disaster

Bhopal Gas Disaster

Methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a Union Carbide pesticide plant, killing thousands in Bhopal

1984-12-03 Details →

Disaster

Great Fire of London

A fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane and destroyed 13,200 houses in London

1666-09-02 Details →

Disaster

1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

The Spanish flu pandemic began its deadly second wave, ultimately killing 50-100 million people

1918-09-01 Details →

Disaster

Black Death Reaches Europe

The bubonic plague arrived in Sicily, beginning the Black Death that killed a third of Europe

1347-10-01 Details →

Disaster

Lisbon Earthquake

A massive earthquake followed by fires and a tsunami virtually destroyed Lisbon on All Saints Day

1755-11-01 Details →

Disaster

Galveston Hurricane

A Category 4 hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, killing 6,000-12,000 in the deadliest US natural disaster

1900-09-08 Details →

Disaster

Tangshan Earthquake

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Tangshan, China, killing between 240,000 and 650,000 people

1976-07-28 Details →

Disaster

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

The Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil

1989-03-24 Details →

Disaster

Deepwater Horizon Explosion

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, causing the largest marine oil spill in history

2010-04-20 Details →

Culture

Beatles on Ed Sullivan Show

The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million Americans and launching Beatlemania

1964-02-09 Details →

Culture

Woodstock Festival

Woodstock Music and Art Fair drew 400,000 people for three days of peace, love and music

1969-08-15 Details →

Culture

First Academy Awards

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

1929-05-16 Details →

Culture

Star Wars Released

Star Wars: A New Hope was released, becoming a cultural phenomenon and changing cinema forever

1977-05-25 Details →

Culture

First Television Broadcast

The BBC began the world's first regular high-definition television broadcasts

1936-11-02 Details →

Culture

First Public Radio Broadcast

KDKA in Pittsburgh made the first commercial radio broadcast, reporting US election results

1920-11-02 Details →

Culture

Eiffel Tower Opens

The Eiffel Tower opened to the public for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris

1889-03-31 Details →

Culture

Gutenberg Bible Printed

Johannes Gutenberg produced the first major book printed with movable metal type in Europe

1455-01-01 Details →

Culture

Sistine Chapel Ceiling Unveiled

Michelangelo unveiled the completed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel after four years of work

1512-11-01 Details →

Culture

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Premiered

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna - composed entirely after he went deaf

1824-05-07 Details →

Culture

Guernica Exhibited

Pablo Picasso's Guernica was exhibited at the Paris International Exposition

1937-06-04 Details →

Culture

Globe Theatre Opens

The Globe Theatre, home of Shakespeare's company, opened on the south bank of the Thames

1599-01-01 Details →

Culture

Taj Mahal Completed

Construction of the Taj Mahal in Agra was completed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

1653-01-01 Details →

Culture

First Color TV Broadcast (USA)

NBC made the first commercially licensed color television broadcast

1954-01-01 Details →

Culture

Titanic Film Released

James Cameron's Titanic was released, becoming the first film to gross $1 billion worldwide

1997-12-19 Details →

Culture

Roman Colosseum Opened

The Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum) was inaugurated by Emperor Titus in Rome

0080-01-01 Details →

Culture

Great Wall of China Completed

The major phase of Great Wall construction under the Ming Dynasty was completed

1644-01-01 Details →

Culture

First Newspaper Published

The Relation aller Fuernemmen und gedenckwuerdigen Historien became the first regularly published newspaper

1605-01-17 Details →

Culture

A Christmas Carol Published

Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, transforming how Christmas was celebrated

1843-12-19 Details →

Culture

Harry Potter Published

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published

1997-06-26 Details →

Culture

Lord of the Rings Published

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring was published

1954-07-29 Details →

Sports

First Modern Olympic Games

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, reviving the ancient tradition

1896-04-06 Details →

Sports

First FIFA World Cup

Uruguay hosted and won the first FIFA World Cup with 13 teams competing

1930-07-13 Details →

Sports

First Super Bowl

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first AFL-NFL Championship

1967-01-15 Details →

Sports

Four-Minute Mile Broken

Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile in 3:59.4 at Oxford

1954-05-06 Details →

Sports

Jesse Owens at Berlin Olympics

Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, defying Nazi racial ideology

1936-08-03 Details →

Sports

Miracle on Ice

The US amateur hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3 at the Lake Placid Olympics

1980-02-22 Details →

Sports

Cassius Clay Wins World Heavyweight Title

Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) shocked the world by defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title

1964-02-25 Details →

Sports

Pele Wins First World Cup

A 17-year-old Pele scored twice in the final as Brazil won the 1958 World Cup

1958-06-29 Details →

Sports

Hank Aaron Breaks Home Run Record

Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, surpassing Babe Ruth's all-time record

1974-04-08 Details →

Sports

First Wimbledon Championship

The first Wimbledon Championships were held at the All England Lawn Tennis Club

1877-07-09 Details →

Sports

Usain Bolt Sets 100m World Record

Usain Bolt set the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds at the Berlin World Championships

2009-08-16 Details →

Sports

Jordan's Sixth NBA Championship

Michael Jordan won his sixth and final NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls

1998-06-14 Details →

Sports

Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100 Points

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game - a record that has never been broken

1962-03-02 Details →

Sports

First Tour de France

The inaugural Tour de France cycling race took place over 19 days and six stages

1903-07-01 Details →

Sports

NBA Founded

The Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League merged to form the NBA

1949-08-03 Details →

Sports

Football Rules Codified

The Football Association was formed in England, establishing the standardized rules of association football

1863-10-26 Details →

Economy

Wall Street Crash - Black Thursday

The New York Stock Exchange crashed on Black Thursday, triggering the Great Depression

1929-10-24 Details →

Economy

Dot-Com Bubble Peaks

The NASDAQ reached its all-time peak at 5,132 before the dot-com bubble burst

2000-03-10 Details →

Economy

Lehman Brothers Collapse

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering the global financial crisis

2008-09-15 Details →

Economy

California Gold Rush Begins

James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, triggering the California Gold Rush

1848-01-24 Details →

Economy

New York Stock Exchange Founded

Twenty-four stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement, founding what became the NYSE

1792-05-17 Details →

Economy

Euro Launched

The euro was introduced as an electronic currency in 11 European countries

1999-01-01 Details →

Economy

Bretton Woods Agreement

44 nations signed the Bretton Woods Agreement, creating the IMF and World Bank

1944-07-22 Details →

Economy

Ford Model T Introduced

Henry Ford introduced the Model T, the first affordable automobile for the general public

1908-10-01 Details →

Economy

Suez Crisis

Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, sparking an international crisis

1956-07-26 Details →

Economy

OPEC Oil Embargo

Arab members of OPEC imposed an oil embargo on countries supporting Israel, causing a global energy crisis

1973-10-17 Details →

Economy

World Trade Organization Founded

The World Trade Organization replaced GATT and became the global body overseeing international trade

1995-01-01 Details →

Economy

IMF Founded

The International Monetary Fund was formally established to oversee the global financial system

1945-12-27 Details →

Economy

Industrial Revolution Begins

The Spinning Jenny was patented by James Hargreaves, symbolizing the start of the Industrial Revolution

1770-07-12 Details →

Economy

First Supertanker Launched

The Universe Apollo, the first supertanker, was launched, revolutionizing global oil transport

1959-01-01 Details →

Economy

First Credit Card Introduced

Diners Club issued the first general purpose credit card, accepted at 27 restaurants

1950-02-08 Details →

Culture

Gutenberg Invents Movable Type

Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press, democratizing knowledge

1440-01-01 Details →

Culture

Common Sense Published

Thomas Paine published Common Sense, persuading colonists to support independence from Britain

1776-01-10 Details →

Culture

Communist Manifesto Published

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto

1848-02-21 Details →

Culture

Habeas Corpus Act

England's Habeas Corpus Act established the right not to be imprisoned without trial

1679-05-27 Details →

Politics

New Zealand First to Grant Women Full Suffrage

New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote

1893-09-19 Details →

Politics

Napoleon Takes Power in France

Napoleon Bonaparte staged the coup of 18 Brumaire, ending the French Revolution

1799-11-09 Details →

Politics

Atlantic Charter Signed

Churchill and Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter, laying the foundation for the post-war world order

1941-08-14 Details →

Society

Nelson Mandela Born

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Mvezo, South Africa

1918-07-18 Details →

Society

Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott

1955-12-01 Details →

Society

Montgomery Bus Boycott Ends

The Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional, ending the 381-day boycott

1956-12-20 Details →

Society

US Voting Rights Act

President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting discriminatory voting practices

1965-08-06 Details →

Politics

United Nations Charter Ratified

The United Nations Charter was ratified by the required number of nations

1945-10-24 Details →

Politics

Camp David Accords

President Carter brokered a peace agreement between Egypt's Sadat and Israel's Begin

1978-09-17 Details →

Politics

Good Friday Agreement

The Good Friday Agreement was signed, bringing peace to Northern Ireland after 30 years of conflict

1998-04-10 Details →

Politics

Dayton Agreement - Bosnia Peace

The Dayton Accords ended the Bosnian War after nearly four years and over 100,000 deaths

1995-11-21 Details →

Politics

Iranian Revolution

Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran and established an Islamic Republic

1979-02-01 Details →

War

Fall of Saigon

North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon as the last US helicopters evacuated the American embassy

1975-04-30 Details →

Space

First Photo of Earth from Space

Apollo 8 astronauts took the iconic Earthrise photograph from lunar orbit

1968-12-24 Details →

Technology

Concorde First Flight

Concorde made its maiden flight, beginning supersonic commercial aviation

1969-03-02 Details →

Exploration

Wright Brothers File Flight Patent

The Wright Brothers filed their patent for a flying machine, protecting their invention

1906-05-22 Details →

Disaster

Hindenburg Disaster

The German airship Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed while landing in New Jersey

1937-05-06 Details →

Politics

Iran Hostage Crisis Begins

Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans hostage

1979-11-04 Details →

War

Gulf War Ends

President Bush announced a ceasefire after 100 hours of ground combat liberated Kuwait

1991-02-28 Details →

Politics

South Africa's First Democratic Election

South Africans of all races voted for the first time in fully democratic elections

1994-04-27 Details →

Space

Yuri Gagarin Dies

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, died in a jet crash during a training flight

1968-03-27 Details →

Science

First Human Embryo Cloned

South Korean scientists reported the first cloned human embryo, raising global bioethics debate

2004-02-12 Details →

Exploration

Cameron Dives to Mariana Trench

Director James Cameron piloted a submersible to the deepest point in the ocean solo

2012-03-26 Details →

Technology

First Commercial Jet Passenger Flight

BOAC flew the first commercial jet passenger service between London and Johannesburg

1952-05-02 Details →

War

Tsar Bomba Detonated

The Soviet Union tested the Tsar Bomba - the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated

1961-10-30 Details →

Space

Apollo-Soyuz Handshake in Space

US and Soviet spacecraft docked in orbit, symbolizing the end of the Space Race

1975-07-17 Details →

Politics

Panama Canal Transferred to Panama

The United States handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama

1999-12-31 Details →

Technology

First Mobile Phone Call

Martin Cooper of Motorola made the first handheld mobile phone call

1973-04-03 Details →

Science

Microwave Oven Invented

Percy Spencer accidentally discovered microwave cooking while working on radar technology

1945-10-08 Details →

Science

Velcro Patented

Swiss engineer George de Mestral patented Velcro after observing how burrs attached to his dog

1955-10-13 Details →

Science

Teflon Discovered

Roy Plunkett accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) at DuPont laboratories

1938-04-06 Details →

Medicine

First AIDS Drug Approved

The FDA approved AZT as the first drug treatment for AIDS

1987-03-19 Details →

Economy

Google Goes Public

Google's IPO raised $1.67 billion and set the stage for Silicon Valley's modern era

2004-08-19 Details →

Economy

Facebook Goes Public

Facebook's IPO raised $16 billion in one of the largest US tech IPOs in history

2012-05-18 Details →

Economy

Black Monday Stock Crash

Stock markets worldwide crashed on Black Monday, with the Dow falling 22.6% in a single day

1987-10-19 Details →

Technology

First GPS Satellite Launched

The US launched the first operational GPS satellite, beginning the global navigation system

1978-02-22 Details →

Technology

Pirate Bay Founded

The Pirate Bay launched, becoming the world's largest BitTorrent index and a flashpoint for copyright debates

2003-11-01 Details →

Technology

Napster Launched

Napster launched peer-to-peer music file sharing and ignited a war between the music industry and the internet

1999-06-01 Details →

Technology

iTunes Store Launched

Apple opened the iTunes Store, selling music at 99 cents per song and rescuing the music industry

2003-04-28 Details →

Technology

First Video Phone Call

AT&T demonstrated the first two-way public video telephone call at the 1964 World's Fair

1964-04-20 Details →

Technology

Wi-Fi Standard Established

The IEEE 802.11b wireless networking standard was published, forming the basis of Wi-Fi

1999-09-16 Details →

Economy

Tesla Motors Founded

Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla Motors, named after inventor Nikola Tesla

2003-07-01 Details →

Technology

Tesla Roadster Unveiled

Tesla unveiled the Roadster, the first all-electric sports car with over 200 miles of range

2006-07-19 Details →

Space

SpaceX Founded

Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) to reduce the cost of space access

2002-03-14 Details →

Technology

iPad Launched

Apple launched the iPad, creating the modern tablet computer market

2010-04-03 Details →

Technology

First Android Phone Released

The T-Mobile G1 became the first commercially released Android smartphone

2008-10-22 Details →

Technology

Zoom Founded

Eric Yuan left Cisco to found Zoom Video Communications

2011-04-21 Details →

Technology

First Domain Name Registered

Symbolics.com became the first domain name ever registered on the internet

1985-03-15 Details →

Politics

Panama Papers Leaked

11.5 million documents from Mossack Fonseca exposing global financial secrecy were published

2016-04-03 Details →

Politics

Snowden NSA Leaks

Edward Snowden leaked classified documents revealing mass surveillance programs by the NSA

2013-06-05 Details →

Politics

WikiLeaks Founded

Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks to publish classified and sensitive information

2006-10-04 Details →

Science

First Atom Split

Ernest Rutherford became the first person to artificially split the atom at Cambridge

1917-04-01 Details →

Space

Hubble Space Telescope Repaired

Shuttle astronauts repaired Hubble's flawed mirror, restoring the telescope to full capability

1993-12-11 Details →

Space

SpaceX First Orbital Mission

SpaceX's Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit

2008-09-28 Details →

Space

SpaceX Lands a Reusable Rocket

SpaceX successfully landed and recovered a Falcon 9 first stage for the first time

2015-12-21 Details →

Space

Crew Dragon First Crewed Flight

SpaceX's Crew Dragon carried astronauts to the ISS - the first crewed US spacecraft since 2011

2020-05-30 Details →

Exploration

First Supersonic Flight

Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1

1947-10-14 Details →

Exploration

First Around-the-World Flight

Two US Army Air Service planes completed the first aerial circumnavigation of the globe

1924-09-28 Details →

Exploration

Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

1932-05-21 Details →

Technology

Hindenburg Makes First Commercial Flight

The Hindenburg began transatlantic passenger service between Germany and the United States

1936-03-26 Details →

Technology

Transatlantic Telegraph Cable Laid

The first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable was completed, connecting Europe and North America

1866-07-27 Details →

Space

ISS First Module Launched

Russia launched the Zarya module - the first component of the International Space Station

1998-11-20 Details →

Space

Mars Pathfinder Lands

NASA's Mars Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover landed, becoming the first rover to operate on another planet

1997-07-04 Details →

Space

First Animal in Space

Laika the dog became the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik 2

1957-11-03 Details →

Space

First Woman in Space

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space aboard Vostok 6

1963-06-16 Details →

Politics

Cold War Ends

Presidents Bush and Gorbachev formally declared the Cold War over at the Malta Summit

1989-12-03 Details →

Science

Ozone Hole Discovered

British scientists discovered a massive hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica

1985-05-16 Details →

Politics

Montreal Protocol Signed

The Montreal Protocol was signed, beginning the global effort to protect the ozone layer

1987-09-16 Details →

Culture

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Opened to Tourism

Ukraine opened the Chernobyl exclusion zone to organized tourists for the first time

2011-01-01 Details →

Science

Einstein Born

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm in the Kingdom of Wurttemberg, German Empire

1879-03-14 Details →

Science

Nikola Tesla Born

Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, Serbia, and would go on to invent alternating current electricity

1856-07-10 Details →

Science

Marie Curie Wins Nobel Prize in Physics

Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, for her work on radioactivity

1903-12-10 Details →

Science

Marie Curie Wins Second Nobel Prize

Marie Curie won her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry, becoming the first person to win in two different sciences

1911-12-10 Details →

Medicine

First Implantable Pacemaker

Arne Larsson became the first person to receive an implantable cardiac pacemaker

1958-10-08 Details →

Medicine

First Kidney Transplant

Joseph Murray performed the first successful kidney transplant between identical twins at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital

1954-12-23 Details →

Medicine

First Liver Transplant

Thomas Starzl performed the first human liver transplant, though the patient survived only 22 days

1963-03-01 Details →

Medicine

West Africa Ebola Outbreak

The worst Ebola outbreak in history began in Guinea, eventually killing over 11,000 people

2013-12-26 Details →

Medicine

SARS Epidemic

WHO issued a global alert about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a novel coronavirus

2003-03-12 Details →

Medicine

First Successful Bone Marrow Transplant

E. Donnall Thomas performed the first successful bone marrow transplant

1956-08-12 Details →

Medicine

Human African Trypanosomiasis Below 1000 Cases

WHO reported sleeping sickness cases fell below 1,000 for the first time in 80 years

2018-01-01 Details →

Medicine

Laparoscopic Surgery Performed

Dr. Philippe Mouret performed the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy, revolutionizing surgery

1987-03-01 Details →

Medicine

First 3D Printed Organ Implanted

Surgeons implanted the first 3D-printed trachea into a patient, opening a new era of bioprinting

2011-06-01 Details →

Disaster

Plague of Justinian

The Plague of Justinian struck the Byzantine Empire, killing up to 25 million people

0541-01-01 Details →

Disaster

Great Plague of London

The last major epidemic of bubonic plague in England killed about 100,000 Londoners

1665-01-01 Details →

Disaster

First Cholera Pandemic

The first cholera pandemic spread from India to much of the world, killing millions

1817-01-01 Details →

Medicine

First Antibiotic Used on a Human

Sulfonamide antibiotics were first used successfully to treat a human bacterial infection

1932-12-26 Details →

Medicine

First CT Scanner Used

The first CT scanner produced a clinical image, revolutionizing diagnostic medicine

1972-10-01 Details →

Science

Darwin Visits Galapagos

Charles Darwin arrived in the Galapagos Islands, observations that would inspire evolution theory

1835-09-15 Details →

Science

Newton's Law of Gravity

Isaac Newton formulated the universal law of gravitation

1687-07-05 Details →

Science

First Nuclear Power Plant Opens

Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in the USSR became the world's first nuclear power station to generate electricity

1954-06-27 Details →

Disaster

Three Mile Island Accident

A partial meltdown at Three Mile Island nuclear plant caused the worst US nuclear accident

1979-03-28 Details →

Politics

Haitian Revolution Begins

The Haitian Revolution began - the only successful slave revolution in history, creating the first Black republic

1791-08-22 Details →

Society

13th Amendment - US Slavery Abolished

The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution formally abolished slavery

1865-12-06 Details →

Society

Wyoming Grants Women the Vote

The Wyoming Territory became the first US jurisdiction to grant women the right to vote

1869-12-10 Details →

Society

First National Labor Union Founded (US)

The National Labor Union was founded in Baltimore, the first national labor federation in the US

1866-08-20 Details →

Society

Ford Introduces 8-Hour Workday

Henry Ford introduced the 8-hour workday and $5 daily wage, transforming labor relations

1914-01-05 Details →

Society

Red Cross Founded

Henry Dunant founded the International Committee of the Red Cross after witnessing the Battle of Solferino

1863-02-17 Details →

Society

UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The UN General Assembly adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as the global development roadmap

2015-09-25 Details →

Sports

Modern Olympic Truce Adopted

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an Olympic Truce for the Atlanta games

1993-10-25 Details →

Sports

Special Olympics Founded

Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics to provide sports training for people with intellectual disabilities

1968-07-20 Details →

Sports

First Ironman Triathlon

The first Ironman Triathlon was held in Hawaii - 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run

1978-02-18 Details →

Sports

First Formula One World Championship

The inaugural Formula One World Drivers Championship race took place at Silverstone

1950-05-13 Details →

Sports

Ayrton Senna Dies

Three-time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna died after a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix

1994-05-01 Details →

Sports

First NFL Game Played

The American Professional Football Association (later renamed NFL) played its first games

1920-10-03 Details →

Sports

Black Sox Scandal

Eight Chicago White Sox players were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series

1919-09-28 Details →

Sports

Babe Ruth Hits 60 Home Runs

Babe Ruth set a single-season home run record of 60, standing for 34 years

1927-09-30 Details →

Sports

First Boston Marathon

The first Boston Marathon was run with 15 athletes, inspired by the revival of the Olympic marathon

1897-04-19 Details →

Sports

Rumble in the Jungle

Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in Kinshasa using the rope-a-dope strategy

1974-10-30 Details →

Sports

Pele's Final Game

Pele played his final professional game for the New York Cosmos against Santos in a farewell match

1977-10-01 Details →

Sports

Armstrong Stripped of Tour Titles

Lance Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for doping

2012-08-24 Details →

Sports

Tiger Woods Wins First Masters

Tiger Woods won his first Masters at 21, becoming the youngest champion and the first person of color to win

1997-04-13 Details →

Sports

Serena Williams Wins First Wimbledon

Serena Williams won her first Wimbledon title at age 17, beginning her dominance of women's tennis

1999-07-03 Details →

Sports

Phelps Wins 8 Gold Medals

Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, the most golds in a single Olympics ever

2008-08-17 Details →

Sports

First Women's Olympic Marathon

Joan Benoit won the first women's Olympic marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games

1984-08-05 Details →

Sports

Carl Lewis Wins Four Olympic Golds

Carl Lewis equaled Jesse Owens by winning four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

1984-08-11 Details →

Sports

Netherlands Revolutionize Football

Johan Cruyff's Netherlands reached the World Cup Final playing Total Football, changing the game forever

1974-07-07 Details →

Sports

New Zealand Wins First Rugby World Cup

New Zealand won the inaugural Rugby World Cup, defeating France in the final

1987-06-20 Details →

Sports

Hand of God Goal

Diego Maradona scored the controversial 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup

1986-06-22 Details →

Sports

First Five Nations Rugby Championship

The first Home Nations Championship (later Five Nations, then Six Nations) was held

1883-01-01 Details →

Technology

Deep Blue Defeats Kasparov

IBM's Deep Blue became the first computer to defeat a reigning world chess champion in a match

1997-05-11 Details →

Space

Apollo 8 Orbits the Moon

Apollo 8 became the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the Moon, and astronauts read from Genesis on Christmas Eve

1968-12-21 Details →

Science

First Cat Cloned

Scientists at Texas A&M University cloned the first domestic cat, named CC (Copy Cat)

2001-12-22 Details →

Exploration

First Human-Powered Flight Across Channel

Bryan Allen pedaled the Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel using only human power

1979-06-12 Details →

Exploration

Solar Impulse 2 Completes World Tour

Solar Impulse 2 completed the first around-the-world solar-powered flight

2016-07-26 Details →

Exploration

Everest Climbed Solo Without Oxygen

Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb Mount Everest solo without supplemental oxygen

1980-08-20 Details →

Exploration

All 14 Eight-Thousanders First Climbed

Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters

1986-10-16 Details →

Technology

Channel Tunnel Opens

The Channel Tunnel linking England and France opened for passenger services

1994-11-14 Details →

Culture

Golden Gate Bridge Opens

The Golden Gate Bridge opened in San Francisco after four years of construction

1937-05-27 Details →

Culture

Brooklyn Bridge Opens

The Brooklyn Bridge opened, becoming the world's longest suspension bridge at the time

1883-05-24 Details →

Culture

Empire State Building Opens

The Empire State Building opened in New York City as the world's tallest building

1931-04-11 Details →

Culture

Eiffel Tower Construction Begins

Construction began on the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World's Fair

1887-01-28 Details →

Culture

Statue of Liberty Dedicated

President Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the United States

1886-10-28 Details →

Exploration

Panama Canal Construction Begins

The United States began construction of the Panama Canal after France abandoned the project

1904-05-04 Details →

Technology

Hoover Dam Completed

The Hoover Dam was completed on the Colorado River, then the world's largest hydroelectric dam

1935-03-01 Details →

Culture

Sydney Opera House Opens

Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Sydney Opera House

1973-10-20 Details →

Technology

First Transatlantic Telegraph Message

Queen Victoria and President Buchanan exchanged congratulatory messages over the first transatlantic telegraph cable

1858-08-16 Details →

Economy

First Oil Supertanker Launched

The Universe Apollo, the first supertanker, was launched in Japan, transforming global oil transport

1959-03-01 Details →

Technology

First Undersea Railway Tunnel

The Seikan Tunnel in Japan opened as the world's longest and deepest undersea rail tunnel

1988-03-13 Details →

Culture

Burj Khalifa Opens

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai opened as the world's tallest building at 828 meters

2010-01-04 Details →