The leap second at the end of 2016 proved that programmers still hadn't learned from 2012 and 2015's leap second bugs. Major services including Amazon...
Scientists inserted an extra second at 23:59:60 to keep atomic time synchronized with Earth's slowing rotation. Some computer systems crashed because...
The 101-story skyscraper claimed the title from Malaysia's Petronas Towers and held it until 2010. The building's name refers to its 101 floors and it...
In a surprise New Year's Eve announcement, Yeltsin became the first Russian leader to voluntarily resign, handing power to former KGB officer Vladimir...
After 85 years of U.S. control, the Panama Canal was transferred to Panamanian authority at noon on December 31, 1999. The handover fulfilled the term...
When Brunei gained full independence, it introduced its own currency on December 31, 1983. Interestingly, the Brunei dollar maintains interchangeabili...
The European Recovery Program, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, concluded after helping 16 European nations recover from World War II devastation....
After 700 years of use, the tiny farthing coin was retired because inflation had made it practically worthless. People rushed to spend their farthings...
More than a year after Japan's surrender, Truman signed Proclamation 2714, officially ending the state of hostilities. This legal declaration was nece...
The BBC transmitted the sound of Big Ben's bells ringing in the new year, creating an instant British tradition. Millions tuned in to hear the famous...
The bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River. It cost $31 million and t...
Edison illuminated his laboratory and surrounding streets with his new invention, drawing crowds of curious onlookers. Over 3,000 people took special...
West Virginia became the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state during the Civil War. Virginia's northwestern counties remained loyal...
Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, ordered the bombardment and burning of Norfolk after patriots fired on British ships. The fire destroyed...
King William III introduced a tax based on the number of windows in a house, assuming bigger homes with more windows belonged to wealthier people. Peo...