The History Shack

  OTD May 31st is the one-hundred-fifty-first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 214 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 455 – Emperor Petronius Maximus is stoned to death by an angry mob while fleeing Rome. 1293 – The Mongol invasion of Java was a punitive expedition against King Kertanegara of Singhasari, who had refused to pay tribute to the Yuan and maimed one of its ministers. However, it ended with the Mongols' failure. Regarded as establishing the City of Surabaya. 1610 – The pageant London's Love to Prince Henry on the River Thames celebrates the creation of Prince Henry as Prince of Wales. 1790 – The United States enacted its first copyright statute, the Copyright Act of 1790. 1795 – French Revolution: The Revolutionary Tribunal is suppressed. 1805 – French and Spanish forces begin the assault against British forces occupying Diamond Rock, Martinique. 1859 – The clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, which houses Big Ben, star...

Picture this: you’re walking along the bustling streets of London, the River Thames glistening in the afternoon sun, and there it is – the magnificent Big Ben, towering over the city with its grandiose presence. But did you know that "Big Ben" refers to the Great Bell inside the tower? Officially renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne, this iconic landmark is brimming with history and cultural significance. Let’s rewind to when the tower was known as St. Stephen’s Tower. Completed in 1859, it quickly symbolized British ingenuity and resilience. Standing at an impressive 320 feet (97.5 meters) tall, the tower's clock is renowned for its accuracy, thanks to the ingenious design of Edmund Beckett Denison, Sir George Airy, and clockmaker Edward Dent. Denison’s gravity escapement mechanism ensured that the clock would keep impeccable time, a feat that was quite remarkable for its era. Let’s talk about those clock hands ...

  OTD May 30th is the one-hundred-fiftieth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 215 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans built a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometers (9.3 mi). 1381 – Beginning of the Peasants' Revolt in England. 1539 – In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers intending to find gold. 1723 – Johann Sebastian Bach assumed the office of Thomaskantor in Leipzig, presenting his first new cantata, Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75, in the St. Nicholas Church on the first Sunday after Trinity. 1883 – In New York City, a stampede on the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge killed twelve people. 1911 – At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile ...

In 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto set off on a bold mission to La Florida, a region now part of the southeastern United States. He and his crew were driven by dreams of finding wealthy kingdoms to conquer and plunder. They landed on the west coast of Florida, in what we now call the Tampa Bay area, with high hopes of discovering gold and other treasures. But instead of a quick treasure hunt, their journey turned into a four-year-long odyssey through southeastern North America, filled with encounters with numerous Indigenous societies and many hard lessons. De Soto's expedition was nothing short of impressive. Picture this: knights in shining armor, foot soldiers ready for battle, skilled artisans, priests, boatwrights, scribes, a whole bunch of horses—200 to be exact—and a large herd of pigs. They landed in the Amerindian chiefdom of Ocita, likely somewhere around present-day Tampa Bay, eager and ready for adventure. But finding gold wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. ...

  OTD May 29th is the one-hundred-forty-ninth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 216 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 1453 – Fall of Constantinople: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire. 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of North America's original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the Constitution and become one of the United States. 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state. 1851 – Sojourner Truth delivers her famous Ain't I a Woman? Speech at the Woman’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. 1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal. 1919—Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin test (later confirm) Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest on ...

  OTD May 28th is the one-hundred-forty-eighth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 217 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated. It is also the earliest event of which the precise date is known. 621 – Battle of Hulao: Li Shimin, the son of the Chinese emperor Gaozu, defeats the numerically superior forces of Dou Jiande near the Hulao Pass (Henan). This victory decided the outcome of the civil war that followed the Sui dynasty's collapse in favor of the Tang dynasty. 1588 – The Spanish Armada, with 130 ships and 30,000 men, sets sail from Lisbon, Portugal, heading for the English Channel. 1644 – English Civil War: Bolton Massacre by Royalist troops under the command of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. ...

  OTD May 27th is the one-hundred-forty-seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 218 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated. 1533 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid. 1703 – Tsar Peter the Great found the city of Saint Petersburg. 1754 – French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war, Virginia militia under the 22-year-old Lieutenant George Washington defeated a French reconnaissance party in the Battle of Jumonville Glen in what is now Fayette County in southwestern Pennsylvania. 1892 – In San Francisco, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club. 1896 – The F4-strength St. Louis–East St. Louis tornado ...

On May 26, 1783, the people of North Stratford, Connecticut (present-day Trumbull) gathered for an event that would become etched in history. This was no ordinary day; it was A Great Jubilee Day, marking the end of the long and arduous fighting of the American Revolutionary War. It was a day of immense rejoicing to celebrate freedom, peace, and the dawn of a new era for the young nation. At precisely 1:00 PM, the townsfolk reached the meeting house. The air was filled with a mix of solemnity and joy as Reverend James Beebe led the congregation in prayer. His words were a blend of gratitude and hope, reflecting the people's collective relief and aspirations. The reverberation of their voices singing a Psalm added a melodic harmony to the solemn prayers, setting a reverent tone for the day. Following the worship, Mr. David Lewis Beebe, a Yale College student, delivered an oration that captured the essence of the moment. With eloquence and fervor, he spoke of the struggles endured, th...

  OTD May 26th is the one-hundred-forty-sith day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 219 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe. 946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he attacks while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day. 1293 – An earthquake strikes Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, killing about 23,000. 1538 – Geneva expels John Calvin and his followers from the city. Calvin lives in exile in Strasbourg for the next three years. 1783 – A Great Jubilee Day is held at North Stratford, Connecticut, to celebrate the end of fighting in the American Revolution. 1868 – The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ends with his acquittal by one vote. 1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom signed the Treaty of Gaydamak, establishing an Afghan state. 1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industria...

Imagine a time when the rhythmic tap of shoes on a stage was pure magic, capturing the hearts of audiences across America. That was the world of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the legendary tap dancer, actor, and singer whose light-as-air dancing and charismatic presence made him a star. Born Luther Robinson on May 25, 1878, in Richmond, Virginia, Bill's journey to stardom was anything but easy. Growing up in the post-Civil War South, he faced challenges that could have crushed his dreams. But not Bill—his love for dancing and performing propelled him to the top, making him the highest-paid black entertainer in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. Bill Robinson's contribution to tap dance was nothing short of revolutionary. Picture him dancing upright and swinging, his movements so light and graceful that he seemed to float. His signature move was the "stair dance," a dazzling routine where he tapped up and down a set of stairs with mind-blowing p...

  OTD May 25th is the one-hundred-forty-fifth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 220 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans. 240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo, Spain, back from the Moors. 1521 – The Diet of Worms ends when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther an outlaw. 1787 – After a delay of 11 days, the United States Constitutional Convention formally convened in Philadelphia after a quorum of seven states was secured. 1933 – The Walt Disney Company cartoon Three Little Pigs premieres at Radio City Music Hall, featuring the hit song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" 1935 – Jesse Owens of Ohio State University breaks three world records and ties for a fourth at the Big Ten Conference Track and Field Championships in ...

  OTD May 24th is the one-hundred-forty-fourth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 221 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1607—One hundred-five English settlers, under the leadership of Captain Christopher Newport, established the colony of Jamestown at the mouth of the James River on the Virginia coast, the first permanent English colony in America. 1626 – Peter Minuit buys Manhattan. 1683 – The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, opens as the world's first university museum. 1844 – Samuel Morse sends the message "What hath God wrought" (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C. 1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction. 1935 – The first night game in M...

  OTD May 23rd is the one-hundred-forty-third day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 222 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 1430 – Joan of Arc is captured at the Siege of Compiègne by troops from the Burgundian faction. 1533 – The marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon is declared null and void. 1609 – Official ratification of the Second Virginia Charter takes place. 1788 – South Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution as the eighth American state. 1829 – Accordion patent granted to Cyril Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire. 1873 – The Canadian Parliament established the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated. 1934 – American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde are ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. 1995 – The first version of the Java programming language is released.   Birthdays 1586 – Paul Siefer...

  OTD May 22nd is the one-hundred-forty-second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 223 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son, Lü Bu. 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1200 – King John of England and King Philip II of France signed the Treaty of Le Goulet. 1455 – Start of the Wars of the Roses: At the First Battle of St Albans, Richard, Duke of York, defeats and captures King Henry VI of England. 1762 – Trevi Fountain is officially completed and inaugurated in Rome. 1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition officially begins as the Corps of Discovery departs from St. Charles, Missouri. 1849 – Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats, making him the only U.S. president ever to hold a patent. 1866 – Oliver Winchester founded the Winchester Repeating Arms. 1906 – The Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,3...

Imagine strolling through the charming streets of Rome, turning a corner, and suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with a breathtaking masterpiece of water and stone—the Trevi Fountain. This iconic landmark, an 18th-century gem nestled in the heart of the Trevi district, is not just a fountain; it’s a piece of living history, a symbol of artistic triumph, and a testament to the enduring allure of Baroque architecture. The story of the Trevi Fountain begins with the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, an ancient Roman marvel revived to bring crystal-clear water into the city. The fountain was conceived in the early 18th century when Rome was keen on reviving its grandeur and splendor. In 1730, Pope Clement XII launched a competition to design a new fountain to celebrate the aqueduct and adorn the city with another glorious monument. Enter Nicola Salvi, an Italian architect whose vision would forever change the landscape of Rome. Salvi’s design was grandiose and ambitious, perfectly capturing the dra...

  OTD May 21st is the one-hundred-forty-first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 224 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 878 – Syracuse, Sicily, is captured by the Muslim Aghlabids after a nine-month siege. 1349 – Dušan's Code, the constitution of the Serbian Empire, is enacted by Dušan the Mighty. 1554 – Queen Mary I grants a royal charter to Derby School as a grammar school for boys in Derby, England. 1703 – Daniel Defoe is imprisoned on charges of seditious libel. 1792 – A lava dome collapses on Mount Unzen, near Shimbara on the Japanese island of Kyūshū, creating a deadly tsunami that killed nearly 15,000 people. 1881—Clara Barton established the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. This is a significant milestone in the history of humanitarian aid and disaster relief, marking the birth of an organization that continues to serve and save lives to this day. 1904 – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is found...

Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe around 1660, was a man of many talents. An English novelist, journalist, merchant, pamphleteer, and spy, Defoe is best known for his groundbreaking novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719. This literary masterpiece, which follows the adventures of a shipwrecked man on a deserted island, has been translated almost as often as the Bible, a testament to its enduring popularity and universal appeal. Defoe was a prolific writer, churning over three hundred works on a dizzying array of subjects, from politics and crime to religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural. His writings are marked by their detailed observations and vivid storytelling, painting colorful pictures of the world around him.  Born in London to James Foe, a successful tallow chandler, Defoe experienced some of the most dramatic events of the 17th century, including the Great Plague of London in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. These early experiences likely shaped his k...

  OTD May 20th is the one-hundred-fortieth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 225 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 325 – The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. 685 – The Battle of Dun Nechtain is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated. 1609 – Shakespeare's sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. 1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. 1891 – History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope. 1927 – Charles Lindbergh takes off for Paris from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, landing 33+1⁄2 hours later. 1932 – Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfou...

  On May 19, 1780, New England and parts of Canada experienced a phenomenon that has since become known as New England's Dark Day. This event defied the norms of daylight, plunging the region into an unexpected and unsettling darkness. It’s a historical curiosity that has captivated imaginations and inspired numerous theories. The day began like any other spring morning. The sun rose on schedule, but soon after, something unusual happened. The skies over New England started to darken, a darkness that spread from Portland, Maine, to New Jersey. It became so dark that by noon, people had to light candles to see. The sudden darkness caused widespread panic and confusion. In the throes of the Revolutionary War, George Washington noted the peculiar occurrence in his diary, describing the skies as "heavy & uncommon kind of clouds" with an intermix of reddish light that alternated in brightness.  The darkness was so profound that people resorted to prayer and introspection. ...

  OTD May 19th is the one-hundred-thirty-ninth day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 226 days remain until the end of the year.   Events 1499 – Catherine of Aragon is married by proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Catherine is 13, and Arthur is 12. 1536 – Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, is beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest. 1749 – King George II of Great Britain grants the Ohio Company a charter of land around the forks of the Ohio River. 1848 – Mexican-American War: Mexico ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thus ending the war and ceding California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of four other modern-day U.S. states to the United States for US$15 million. 1883 – Buffalo Bill's 1st Buffalo Bill's Wild West opens in Omaha, Nebraska. 1921 – The United States Congress passed the Emergency Quota Act, establishing national quotas on immigration. 1950 – Egypt announces that the Suez Canal is closed to Israeli ships and commerce....