American sociologist, historian, activist
German/English composer
Estonian/Russian patriarch
Egyptian footballer
German author, poet
German mathematician
American politician, 6th President of the United States
English actor, comedian
English poet
English composer
The Gutenberg Bible, the first book ever printed in movable type, was published by Johannes Gutenberg in the year 1455. This marked the beginning of the printing revolution, making it easier to produce books and spreading knowledge to a wider audience in the Western world.
In 1540, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led an expedition from Mexico in search of the fabled seven cities of Cibola, which were believed to be rich in gold and other treasures. Although the expedition ultimately failed to find Cibola, it paved the way for Spanish expansion into what is now the American Southwest.
In 1836, the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, was besieged for 13 days by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna during the Texas Revolution. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Texian garrison fought bravely but was eventually overwhelmed, with all of its members killed. The battle became a symbol of Texian resistance against Mexican rule.
In 1904, the United States acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone from Panama for $10 million. The Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, is an important shipping route that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, greatly reducing travel time and costs for ships.
The February Revolution in Russia began in 1917 with demonstrations and armed clashes that ultimately led to the fall of the Russian Empire. The revolution was sparked by a combination of factors, including dissatisfaction with the government's handling of World War I, food shortages, and political repression.
In 1941, Glenn T. Seaborg and his team chemically identified Plutonium, a radioactive element that plays an important role as nuclear fuel or in nuclear weapons. The discovery of Plutonium was a significant milestone in the development of nuclear technology.
In 1945, during World War II, US Marines raised the American flag on top of Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima in Japan. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of the event by Joe Rosenthal later became an iconic image and inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial sculpture in Arlington, Virginia.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) began operating in 1947, issuing standards for a wide range of products and services, including bicycle tires and date formats. The ISO's aim is to ensure that products and services are safe, reliable, and of good quality.
In 1954, the first mass inoculation against polio took place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, using the vaccine developed by virologist Jonas Salk. The vaccine is still one of the two versions used today, along with Hilary Koprowski's live polio vaccine.