31 historical moments · one line of insight
Joan of Arc, a peasant girl, broke the English siege at Orleans. It is a miracle where one girl's pure belief breathed hope into the desperate, defeating an empire and changing history.
Captain James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour landed at Botany Bay, making the first recorded European exploration of Australia's eastern coastline.
British physician and philologist Peter Mark Roget published the first edition of 'Roget's Thesaurus,' systematically categorizing English words by concept and meaning.
William Randolph Hearst, the American newspaper magnate who built a massive media empire through yellow journalism and inspired 'Citizen Kane,' was born.
German inventor Werner von Siemens successfully demonstrated the 'Electromote,' the world's first trolleybus powered by overhead electrical wires.
Birth of the great musician who changed jazz history. By elevating the roots of Black music into high art, he proved the brilliant creativity and freedom of the human soul despite oppression.
A massive rockfall occurred on Turtle Mountain in Alberta, Canada, instantly burying part of the mining town of Frank and killing dozens of residents.
Gideon Sundback patented the zipper design we use today, sparking a massive innovation in the manufacturing and design of clothing and bags.
Yun Bong-gil threw a bomb in Shanghai, striking the heart of imperialism. His noble resolve to sacrifice his life for his lost homeland ignited the embers of independence for all the oppressed.
Zubin Mehta, the Indian-born conductor who achieved global fame leading the New York Philharmonic and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, was born in Mumbai.
US troops entered the Dachau concentration camp near Munich, liberating tens of thousands of prisoners suffering under the brutal repression of the Nazis.
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East officially indicted Hideki Tojo and 27 other major Japanese war criminals for instigating World War II.
South Korea held its first-ever local elections, allowing citizens to directly elect mayors, town heads, and local council members for the first time.
Daniel Day-Lewis, hailed as one of Hollywood's greatest method actors and a three-time Academy Award winner for his immersive performances, was born.
Fidel Castro declared intellectual property a capitalist remnant, unilaterally abolishing copyright protections and proclaiming that all knowledge and creations belong to the people.
The rock musical 'Hair,' capturing the spirit of hippie culture and the anti-war movement, opened on Broadway, delivering a shocking blow to establishment values.
Andre Agassi, the legendary American tennis player who achieved a Career Grand Slam and dominated the court with exceptional returns and flamboyant fashion, was born.
As North Vietnamese forces closed in on Saigon, the US military launched a massive helicopter evacuation for thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese civilians.
The master of suspense passed away. By intricately sculpting hidden anxieties and primal fears onto the screen, he demonstrated the ultimate psychological depth that cinema could achieve.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first to strike out 20 batters in a 9-inning game.
Scottish player Stephen Hendry won the World Snooker Championship at just 21 years old, becoming the youngest champion in the sport's history.
A massive riot sparked by the acquittal of police officers for brutality. It illustrates how easily the veneer of civilization shatters when racial conflict and structural inequality cross the tipping point.
Legendary guitarist Mick Ronson, who shaped the sound of glam rock while playing in David Bowie's 'Spiders from Mars' band, passed away.
The Chemical Weapons Convention officially entered into force, prohibiting the development, production, and stockpiling of chemical weapons globally while mandating their destruction.
Astronomers announced calculations showing that the near-Earth asteroid 1950 DA has a notably high probability of colliding with Earth in the year 2880.
Oldsmobile, one of the oldest American automobile brands under General Motors, ended its 107-year history by rolling its final car, the Alero, off the line.
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney testified privately and unsworn together before the 9/11 Commission regarding the terrorist attacks.
MBC's investigative program PD Notebook broadcast an episode highlighting the risks of mad cow disease in US beef imports, sparking massive social protests.
Prince William, second in line to the British throne, married commoner Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Approximately 2 billion watched worldwide — the most-watched royal event since Princess Diana's funeral.
Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married in a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey, watched by hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
Virgin Galactic's manned suborbital spacecraft SpaceShipTwo successfully completed its first rocket-powered flight after being released from its carrier airplane.
Would you like a quick tour of how to learn idioms through music? It only takes a minute!