On This Day in History

Sutter's Mill, California, where John Augustus Sutter struck gold, accidentally starting the gold rush.

The Discovery of Gold on This Date in 1848 at Sutter’s Creek Kicked Off the California Gold Rush and Transformed America

The unquenchable demand for gold spurred a mass migration and fueled the genocide of Native communities

A group of Englishmen toss Frisbees in 1966.

An American Toy Company Produced the World’s First Frisbees, Beloved by Humans and Dogs, on This Day in 1957

The flying disc had humble beginnings but has since become an international phenomenon

The Valencia wrecked in the northern reaches of the area referred to as the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” the stretch of treacherous coastline between Oregon’s Tillamook Bay and Canada’s Vancouver Island.

More Than 100 Died When the S.S. Valencia Wrecked in the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’—Learn Why This Stretch of Coastline Has Claimed Thousands of Ships

The ship’s demise on this day in 1906 demonstrated the terrifying dangers of the treacherous waters in the Pacific Northwest

The guillotine became France’s official method of capital punishment in spring 1792.

On This Day in 1793, Revolutionaries Executed the King of France by Guillotine, a Deadly Machine They Saw as a Symbol of Equality

Supporters of the French Revolution killed Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, with the same apparatus used to execute common criminals

Toy Story was the first full-length feature film to be produced entirely with computer animation.  

On This Day in 1993, Production Began on This Groundbreaking Movie That Transformed Hollywood Forever

With “Toy Story,” computer animation began its rise to dominance

A 1943 ban prohibited bakeries from selling ready-sliced bread, among other directives regarding the baked good’s manufacture and sale.

The Ridiculous Reason Why the U.S. Enacted a Wartime Ban on Sliced Bread Sales—and Why It Didn't Last Long

Designed to keep prices low and conserve wax paper, the ban, enacted on this day in 1943, only succeeded in making Americans furious

MAFBI agents (right) escort Vincent James Costa (center) and Michael Vincent Geegan (left) from Federal Court 1/12. The two men together with four others were arrainged before UC commissioner for the $1,219,000 Brinks robbery on January 17,1950.

On This Day in 1950, Thieves Stole Millions in a Famous Robbery That Took Years for the Police to Solve

Investigators finally cracked the case thanks to infighting among the thieves—but never located all the money

The Oprichniki by Nikolai Nevrev (1888). The painting shows the last minutes of one of the aristocratic elite taken out by Ivan IV.

Ivan the Terrible, the Czar and Grand Prince of Russia, Wouldn’t Earn His Violent Nickname Until Years After His Reign

We all know Ivan IV’s sobriquet, but the story is more complicated than it might seem

The Derveni Papyrus, named for the location where it was found, is believed to date to between 340 and 320 B.C.E.

How Archaeologists Discovered Europe's Oldest-Known Book, Revealing Never-Before-Seen Insights Into Ancient Religion and Philosophy

Charred by the flames of a funeral pyre, the Derveni Papyrus has proved to be a fascinating—and confounding—artifact

Later in 1967, flower children of all ages gathered in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

The Human Be-In, Which Happened on This Day in 1967, Set the Stage for the ‘Summer of Love’

This loved-up ‘happening’ on a winter day in San Francisco helped the counterculture grab national attention

An 1889 photograph of author Horatio Alger (right)

This Author, Famous for His Rags-to-Riches Stories, Forever Shaped How We Talk About the American Dream

Horatio Alger's repetitive stories reached their true popularity and became synonymous with social mobility largely thanks to retellings after the writer's death

Berry Gordy plays the piano with Motown stars including Stevie Wonder, at right, and Smokey Robinson, at rear behind the piano.

Motown Records, Founded on This Day in 1959, Broke Racial Barriers in Pop Music With Its Beloved Hits

Berry Gordy’s record label used the ‘sound of young America’ to bring people together

U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry shocked Americans by announcing that cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung cancer, throat cancer and chronic bronchitis.

When the U.S. Surgeon General Shocked Americans by Announcing That Smoking Kills

The 1964 disclosure marked the first time many smokers had heard about the health dangers of tobacco

Portrait of Thomas Paine by Laurent Dabos

America’s First ‘Viral’ Post Was Published on This Day in 1776, When Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ Sparked a Revolution

The Englishman’s pamphlet helped spur the 13 colonies to declare independence from Britain

View of the Apple iTunes Music Store, which launched in April 2003, two years after the release of iTunes in January 2001

The Way We Listen to Music Changed Forever When Apple Launched iTunes in 2001

The digital jukebox enjoyed a two-decade reign as the dominant program for storing audio files

The Battle of New Orleans, as painted by E. Percy Moran, showing Andrew Jackson emerge victorious over the British

An Unlikely Army of Militia and Pirates Shocked the World by Defeating the British Army at the Battle of New Orleans

Forces commanded by Andrew Jackson fought the British in the Louisiana port city in the last standoff of the War of 1812

Jean-Pierre Blanchard ascends in his gas balloon on July 12, 1785, six months after he and John Jeffries crossed the English Channel in a similar flying machine

On This Day in 1785, Two Men Braved Death When They Flew Across the English Channel in a Balloon

Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries' harrowing journey was the first aerial crossing between France and Britain

A 1913 photograph of Maria Montessori

How Trailblazing Teacher Maria Montessori Transformed the Realm of Children's Education

The Italian physician and educator opened her first school in Rome on this day in 1907

The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge was an immense project with an immense cost.

The Golden Gate Bridge Was a Dream That Turned Into a Depression-Era Nightmare for the 11 Men Who Died During Its Construction

The building of the iconic "industry orange" landmark began on this day in 1933

A sketch of Solomon Northup from his memoir, Twelve Years a Slave

Solomon Northup's 'Twelve Years a Slave' Came to an End as He Regained His Long-Awaited Freedom on This Day in 1853

Northup’s memoir told the story of his kidnapping and years of enslavement in Louisiana. The book became a national best seller and inspired an Oscar-winning film

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