Friday, May 22
Explore historical events from our collection
Ancient
4 eventsThe Julian Calendar Takes Effect
Julius Caesar's new calendar system replaced the chaotic Roman calendar. It was so revolutionary that we still use a modified version today.
Saint Valentine Executed
The priest who secretly married Roman soldiers was beheaded, eventually inspiring the most romantic day of the year.
The Ides of March: Caesar Assassinated
Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times by Roman senators, including his friend Brutus. "Et tu, Brute?" became history's most famous last words.
Mount Vesuvius Erupts
The volcano buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under volcanic ash, preserving the cities in eerie detail for almost 2,000 years.
Medieval
2 eventsCharlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor
Pope Leo III crowned the Frankish king in Rome, creating a new empire that would shape European politics for a thousand years.
Constantinople Falls
Ottoman forces conquered the Byzantine capital after a 53-day siege. The 1,500-year Roman Empire finally ended.
Early Modern
5 eventsElizabeth I Crowned Queen of England
The 25-year-old princess became one of the most powerful monarchs in history, ushering in England's Golden Age.
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The Continental Congress formally declared independence from Britain. Ironically, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died exactly 50 years later.
Martin Luther Posts 95 Theses
A monk nailed his complaints about the Catholic Church to a church door in Wittenberg, accidentally starting the Protestant Reformation.
Columbus Reaches the Americas
After 71 days at sea, Columbus spotted land in the Bahamas, thinking he'd reached Asia. He never realized he'd found a "New World."
Storming of the Bastille
A Parisian mob stormed the medieval fortress, a symbol of royal tyranny. The French Revolution had truly begun.
Modern
8 eventsPony Express Begins
The legendary mail service launched, with riders covering nearly 2,000 miles in just 10 days. It lasted only 18 months before the telegraph made it obsolete.
Jesse James Shot Dead
The infamous outlaw was killed by Robert Ford, a member of his own gang, for a $10,000 reward. Ford shot him in the back while he was hanging a picture.
Titanic Strikes Iceberg
The "unsinkable" ship hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 people died in one of history's deadliest maritime disasters.
Titanic Sinks
At 2:20 AM, the RMS Titanic broke apart and sank. The band famously played until the very end.
Napoleon Bonaparte Dies in Exile
The former Emperor of France died on the remote island of Saint Helena, possibly from arsenic poisoning. His final word was "Joséphine."
Russian Revolution Begins
Women workers in Petrograd began strikes and demonstrations that would topple the Tsar and eventually lead to the Soviet Union.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated
A 19-year-old Serbian nationalist shot the Austrian heir, triggering a chain of events that led to World War I and 20 million deaths.
World War I Ends
The armistice was signed at 11 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month. The "war to end all wars" left 17 million dead.
Contemporary
11 eventsFirst Mobile Phone Call Made
Martin Cooper made the first call on a handheld mobile phone, weighing 2.5 pounds. He called his rival at Bell Labs to brag.
D-Day: Allied Forces Storm Normandy
Over 156,000 troops landed on five beaches in the largest amphibious invasion in history. It marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.
First Humans Walk on the Moon
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. 600 million people watched live on TV.
9/11 Attacks
Terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 people died in the deadliest terrorist attack in history.
Berlin Wall Falls
East German authorities opened the border, and thousands of people flooded through. The Cold War was effectively over.
JFK Assassinated
President Kennedy was shot while riding in a motorcade through Dallas. His death sparked countless conspiracy theories that persist today.
Pearl Harbor Attack
Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base in Hawaii, killing over 2,400 Americans. The US declared war the next day.
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
The US dropped "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, killing 80,000 people instantly. It remains the only nuclear weapon used in warfare.
Auschwitz Liberated
Soviet soldiers discovered the Nazi death camp, where over 1.1 million people had been murdered. The world learned the full horror of the Holocaust.
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
Reactor No. 4 exploded at the Soviet nuclear plant, releasing 400 times more radiation than the Hiroshima bomb. The nearby city of Pripyat remains abandoned.
Malcolm X Assassinated
The civil rights leader was shot 21 times while giving a speech in Manhattan. He was 39 years old.