A massive earthquake devastated Haiti, killing over 200,000 people
MajorThe 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, causing catastrophic damage to an already impoverished nation. The president...
Historical Events
2010
2007
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone at Macworld
MajorJobs dramatically revealed a device that combined a phone, an iPod, and an internet communicator into one revolutionary product. He famously said, 'Ev...
1995
The world's first wiki website, WikiWikiWeb, was launched
Computer programmer Ward Cunningham created the first wiki to help programmers share and collaborate on software patterns. He named it after the Hawai...
1973
Baseball's American League adopted the designated hitter rule
The controversial rule allowed teams to use a player to bat in place of the pitcher, fundamentally changing the strategy of the game. Purists hated it...
1964
The Surgeon General officially declared that smoking causes lung cancer
MajorU.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released a landmark report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer and heart disease. The report was released on a...
1942
Japan declared war on the Netherlands during World War II
Following Pearl Harbor and invasions across Southeast Asia, Japan formally declared war on the Netherlands to seize the Dutch East Indies (modern Indo...
1937
A severe cold snap froze oranges on trees across Southern California
Temperatures plunged to record lows across the citrus belt, causing millions of dollars in crop damage. Growers desperately tried to save their harves...
1935
Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California
MajorEarhart completed the 2,408-mile journey from Honolulu to Oakland in 18 hours, proving that the Pacific route was viable for commercial aviation. She...
1922
Insulin was first used to treat diabetes in a human patient
Major14-year-old Leonard Thompson became the first person to receive an insulin injection at Toronto General Hospital. The initial dose was impure and caus...
1922
Diabetes patient Leonard Thompson became the first human to be treated with insulin
MajorThe 14-year-old boy was dying from diabetes when doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best administered their experimental insulin extract. Though th...
1913
The first sedan-type automobile was unveiled at a Chicago auto show
Hudson Motor Company introduced the enclosed sedan body style, which protected passengers from weather and road dust. Before this, most cars were open...
1908
The Grand Canyon was designated a U.S. National Monument
President Theodore Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to protect the Grand Canyon, calling it 'the one great sight which every American should see.' I...
1787
William Herschel discovered two moons of Uranus, Titania and Oberon
Just six years after discovering Uranus itself, astronomer William Herschel found two of its largest moons using his homemade 40-foot telescope. He or...
1759
The first American life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia
The Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers...
1569
England held the first recorded lottery to raise money for public works
Queen Elizabeth I organized a national lottery to fund repairs to harbors and other public infrastructure. There were 400,000 tickets at 10 shillings...