Pallas was discovered at the time when Napoleon was at the peak of his power. The asteroid Pallas, one of the largest in the Solar System, was discovered on this date in 1802. The diameter of Pallas is 544 km (approximately like the distance from New...
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1750: Birth of the South American Revolutionary Francisco de Miranda
The revolutionary Francisco de Miranda was born on this day in 1750 in Caracas, South America. He remains one of the best-known fighters for the liberation of Latin American states from Spanish colonial rule, and was in that sense the predecessor of...
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1930: The City of Constantinople Renamed to “Istanbul”
On this day in 1930, a law was enacted in Turkey, according to which the city of Constantinople was renamed Istanbul. Namely, that city had many names throughout history. The Ancient Greeks called the settlement located at that spot Byzantion (Βυζάντ...
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1566: Valletta Founded as the Main Headquarters of the Knights of Malta
Jean de Valette, Grand Master of the Knights of St. John, founded a city named after him after achieving a victory over the Ottoman Turks. The city of Valletta was founded on Malta on this day in 1566. It is today the capital of the Republic of Malta...
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1939: Forces of Francisco Franco Capture Madrid
On this day Francisco Franco’s forces seized the Spanish capital of Madrid. It was the Spanish Civil War, which had already lasted for almost three years and finally came to an end. It was only a matter of days when Franco’s nationalists would conque...
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193: Praetorian Guardsmen Murder Emperor Pertinax and Auction Off the Imperial Throne
After Pertinax’s death, each of the two candidates for the throne shouted out how much money they were willing to give each guardsman should they be chosen as emperor. On this day in 193 the Praetorian Guard murdered Roman emperor Pertinax and procee...
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845: Vikings Attack Paris
The Vikings attacked Paris in the year 845, in one of their invasions deep into the French mainland. Namely, the Vikings were people from Scandinavia who began a major expansion in the late eighth century. Using their characteristic ships, they attac...
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1923: Forced Italianization of Croats in Istria
On this day in 1923 Fascist Italy forbade the use of Croatian as the administrative language in Istria. Namely, the areas of Istria and Trieste were annexed to Italy after the end of World War I. The Italian government almost immediately initiated at...
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1926: The Person who Holds a Record Number of Noble Titles
The person who holds the greatest number of recognized noble titles in today’s world was born on this day. She is the Duchess of Alba, named María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva. She was born at her family’s Liria Palace in Madrid, on...
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1566: German-Slovenian Baron Herberstein – An Early Explorer of Russia
Baron Sigismund von Herberstein, one of the earliest and most important Western writers on the situation in Russia. He originated from the powerful Austrian Herberstein family, which owned a series of manors on the territory of what are now Slovenia...
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PHOTO: First Gasoline-Powered Bus in History (1895)
Landauer, the first gasoline-powered bus in the world, is the subject of this photo. The bus is shown in the service of the Netphener Omnibusgesellschaft, the first company in the world to start a commercial gasoline-powered bus line. The vehicle was...
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Do you know why rabbits are associated with Easter?
Today the figure of the Easter Bunny as a symbol of the holiday is taken pretty much for granted. Yet why is this animal associated with a Christian holiday? Indeed, when one thinks about it, it does appear strange that children wait for a mythical r...
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1968: Death of Yuri Gagarin
On this day in 1968 Soviet astronaut (“cosmonaut”) Yuri Gagarin was killed in an accident. He was famous for being the first man launched into space (12 April 1961). Gagarin reached the rank of colonel in the Soviet Army. Only 157 centimeters tall, h...
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1888: Blessed Francesco Faà di Bruno was also a Distinguished Mathematician
Pope John Paul II said that Faà di Bruno was „a giant of faith and charity“. Unusually, Blessed Francesco became a priest only at the age of 51. Blessed Francesco Faà di Bruno, a distinguished mathematician and Blessed of the Catholic Church,...
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1977: Deadliest Aviation Accident in History
The deadliest aviation accident in history occurred on this day. Namely, a record number of 583 people were killed when two Boeing 747 jumbo-jets collided on the runway at Tenerife in the Canary Islands. That day, because of a bomb attack, the main a...
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1729: Duke Leopold of Lorraine – Father-in-Law of Empress Maria Theresa
Thanks to his marriage to Maria Theresa, Duke Leopold’s son became the Holy Roman Emperor. Duke Leopold of Lorraine, father-in-law of Maria Theresa, died on this day in 1729. His son Francis Stephen married Maria Theresa and was elected Holy Roman Em...
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1510: Beatrice de Frangepan – The Richest Woman in Croatia
She and her husband John Corvinus were by birth one of the most esteemed wedded couples who lived in Croatia after the extinction of the country’s native kings. Beatrice de Frangepan (Croatian: Beatrica Frankopan) died on this day in 1510 as the rich...
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1482: Mary of Burgundy, One of the Richest Young Heiresses in Europe, Dies in Riding Accident
One of the richest heiresses in European history died on this day at the age of only 25. Her name was Mary of Burgundy, and she died after a fall from her horse. Namely, her horse tripped during a hunt with falcons, threw her off, and then fell on to...
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1625: Scottish King who Reigned over England
King James from the Stuart dynasty died on this day in 1625, as a ruler of two thrones – the Scottish and the English. James was the first Scottish king who ever ruled over England. The English call him James I and the Scots James VI (because they ha...
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1915: Typhoid Mary: The Woman who was Quarantined for Life
On this day American Mary Mallon was placed in quarantine for life. She was, in fact, the first person in the U.S. who was found to carry dangerous disease typhoid, even though she looked healthy. The so-called asymptomatic carriers of the infection...
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1785: The Mystery of Louis XVII – The Boy who was to Inherit the Crown from his Executed Father
On this day in 1785, a son was born to French king Louis XVI. He was the heir to the throne, but met a tragic end during the Revolution. He was named Louis just like his father, and was born by the king’s wife, the famous Queen Marie Antoinette. Of c...
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1378: Pope who Returned the Seat of the Papacy from Avignon to Rome
This day in 1378 marked the death of Pope Gregory XI, the last of the so-called Avignon popes. Namely, it was precisely Gregory XI who returned the seat of the papacy from Avignon to Rome. The well-known St. Catherine of Siena had urged him to do tha...
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1713: The Lucrative Benefits of the Black Slave Trade
On this day the Spanish king awarded the British with the most lucrative and the most shameful privilege in history. Namely, they were given the right to supply the Spanish colonies in America with black slaves from Africa. It was certainly a lucrati...
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1402: David Stewart – The First Duke of Rothesay
The title Duke of Rothesay was created in 1398 for David Stewart, son and heir of the Scottish king. The current heir to the Scottish throne, Prince Charles, bears the same title. David Stewart, the first Duke of Rothesay in Scottish history, died on...
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1130: The Norse King who Undertook a Crusade to the Holy Land
The Norwegian King Sigurd I spent the time from 1107 until 1110 at a crusade during which his followers allegedly didn’t lose a single battle. This day in 1130 marked the death of Norwegian king Sigurd I, known for undertaking a crusade to the Holy L...
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1827: Was Beethoven Poisoned by his own Physician?
The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven died on this day in Vienna at the age of only 56. While he was dying, a thunderstorm reportedly raged over Vienna. The exact cause of Beethoven’s death still remains a mystery. It is known that he spent the la...
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1830: Book of Mormon Published
The most sacred Mormon text – The Book of Mormon – was published in the little town of Palmyra in the U.S. state of New York, on this day in 1830 by the founder of the religion, Joseph Smith. The Mormons are today a significant religious community of...
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1881: The First King of the Romanians had no Romanian Blood and didn’t Speak Romanian
Indeed, the first Romanian king Charles I was by faith a Roman Catholic, while most Romanians are Orthodox Christians. On this day former Romanian Domnitor (prince, ruler) Charles I proclaimed himself king. That is how the Kingdom of Romania was form...
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1939: Final Offensive in the Spanish Civil War
On this day in 1939, Nationalist forces initiated their final offensive during the Spanish Civil War. Only a small part of Spain, the area between Madrid, Valencia and Almeria was still under the control of their enemies. The Nationalists had already...
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752: The Priest who was Elected Pope, but Died before his Enthronement
The Roman priest Stephen died on this day in 752, only a few days after being elected pope. However, according to the Canon Law of that time, the pontificate begins only once the pope is anointed bishop, which means that Stephen is officially not con...