Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia sparked the Arab Spring
MajorThe street vendor set himself on fire to protest police harassment and government corruption. His act of desperation triggered mass protests that topp...
Historical Events
2010
1996
Peruvian guerrillas seized the Japanese embassy in Lima during a party, taking 72 hostages
The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement held hostages for 126 days in what became the longest hostage crisis in Latin American history. The standoff en...
1989
The first episode of 'The Simpsons' aired as a full-length show on Fox
The Christmas special 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire' launched what would become the longest-running American sitcom and animated program. The sho...
1967
Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach and was never found
Holt went for a swim in rough seas despite warnings and simply vanished, sparking one of Australia's most enduring mysteries. Wild conspiracy theories...
1944
The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of internment for Japanese Americans
After nearly three years, the government declared that loyal Japanese Americans could return to the West Coast. Over 120,000 had been forced into camp...
1939
The German pocket battleship Graf Spee was scuttled by its own crew in the River Plate estuary
After being damaged in battle with British cruisers, Captain Hans Langsdorff chose to destroy his own ship rather than let it be captured. He believed...
1903
The Wright Brothers achieved the first powered, controlled airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
MajorOrville Wright piloted the first flight, which lasted just 12 seconds and covered 120 feet. The brothers made four flights that day, with the longest...
1903
Pope Pius X was born Giuseppe Sarto in Riese, Italy
He would become pope in 1903 (coincidentally the same year as the Wright Brothers' flight) and is remembered for fighting Modernism in the Church. He...
1892
The Nutcracker ballet premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia, to mixed reviews
Tchaikovsky's now-beloved ballet was initially considered a failure by critics, who found it too simple. The composer himself wasn't satisfied with it...
1843
Charles Dickens published 'A Christmas Carol' in London
The novella was written in just six weeks and sold out its first print run by Christmas Eve. Dickens was nearly broke at the time and hoped it would s...
1777
France recognized American independence, becoming the first country to do so
MajorThis diplomatic recognition came after the American victory at Saratoga convinced the French that the colonists could actually win. French military an...
1770
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany
MajorThe exact date is uncertain, but December 17 is widely accepted as his birth date. Beethoven would go on to compose masterpieces while completely deaf...
