The genesis block of Bitcoin was created by Satoshi Nakamoto
MajorThis first block in the Bitcoin blockchain contained a message referencing a Times headline about bank bailouts, signaling the cryptocurrency's anti-e...
Historical Events
2009
1990
Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces after the Vatican embassy played loud rock music for 10 days
The Panamanian dictator had taken refuge in the Vatican's diplomatic mission. U.S. troops blasted music including Van Halen and The Clash at maximum v...
1977
Apple Computer was incorporated by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne
MajorThe company that started in a garage officially became a corporation, though Wayne sold his 10% stake just 12 days later for $800. That stake would ev...
1961
The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba
President Eisenhower cut ties with Fidel Castro's government, beginning decades of tension. The U.S. embassy in Havana wouldn't reopen until 2015, mak...
1959
Alaska became the 49th state of the United States
MajorPresident Eisenhower signed the official proclamation admitting Alaska to the union, making it the largest state by area. The state had been purchased...
1956
A parakeet named Sparkie Williams won the BBC's 'Best Talking Parrot-like Bird' competition
The budgie from England could speak 531 words and recite eight complete nursery rhymes. His owner taught him through constant repetition, and recordin...
1938
The March of Dimes was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to fight polio
Originally called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, it was renamed after a famous fundraising campaign asking Americans to send dimes....
1924
Howard Carter discovered the sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun in Egypt
MajorAfter finding the tomb entrance in 1922, Carter finally reached the pharaoh's actual burial chamber on this date. Inside lay three nested coffins, the...
1920
The New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $100,000
This trade became known as the 'Curse of the Bambino' after the Red Sox failed to win another World Series for 86 years. Ruth went on to transform the...
1892
J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa
The future author of The Lord of the Rings spent his early childhood in South Africa before moving to England at age three. He would later cite his ch...
1888
The 91-centimeter refracting telescope at Lick Observatory saw first light
At the time of its completion, this was the largest refracting telescope in the world. Located atop Mount Hamilton in California, it remained the worl...
1777
George Washington defeated British forces at the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolution
MajorJust days after his famous Delaware crossing, Washington's army won a crucial victory that boosted American morale. The battle forced British troops t...
1521
Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther from the Catholic Church
MajorAfter Luther refused to recant his criticisms of the church, the Pope formally expelled him with the papal bull 'Decet Romanum Pontificem'. This act s...
1496
Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tested a flying machine
The Renaissance genius attempted to fly from a hill in Fiesole, Italy, using wings he had designed based on bird anatomy. The experiment ended with a...