Category: Today in History
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July 20, 1969
Apollo 11’s crew successfully makes the first human landing on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. American Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to walk on the Moon six and a half hours later. ㅤApollo 11 was the historic American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon in July…
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June 6, 1944
Commencement of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy, with the execution of Operation Neptune—commonly referred to as D-Day—the largest seaborne invasion in history. ㅤThe Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune and commonly known as D-Day, were the pivotal Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, during World War II. As the largest seaborne invasion…
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April 15, 1947
Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking baseball’s color line. ㅤIn 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when the Brooklyn Dodgers called him up to the major leagues. He made his debut on April 15, 1947, at Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623 spectators, over half of whom…
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April 10, 1896
1896 Summer Olympics: The Olympic marathon is run ending with the victory of Greek athlete Spyridon Louis. ㅤThe men’s marathon was a special event introduced at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens as the capstone of the athletics program. Seventeen athletes from five nations participated in this inaugural race, which was inspired by the legend…
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April 9, 1784
The Treaty of Paris, ratified by the United States Congress on January 14, 1784, is ratified by King George III of the Kingdom of Great Britain, ending the American Revolutionary War. ㅤThe Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, by Great Britain and the United States, formally concluded the American Revolutionary War. This landmark…
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April 9, 1865
Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. ㅤOn the morning of April 9, 1865, Confederate General John B. Gordon’s corps attacked Union cavalry, initially pushing them back. However, the Confederate advance stalled upon encountering the Union XXIV and…
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April 7, 529
First Corpus Juris Civilis, a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. ㅤThe Corpus Juris Civilis, meaning “Body of Civil Law,” is the modern name for a collection of fundamental legal works enacted between 529 and 534 CE by order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. Directed by Tribonian, this…
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April 7, 1933
Nazi Germany issues the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service banning Jews and political dissidents from civil service posts. ㅤThe Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, enacted by the Nazi regime in Germany on April 7, 1933, was an early and significant piece of anti-Semitic and racist legislation. Following…
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April 7, 2003
U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime falls two days later. ㅤThe Battle of Baghdad was a key military engagement in early April 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. Spearheaded by the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, elements of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command successfully captured Baghdad approximately three weeks into the invasion.…
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April 1, 1924
Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years fortress confinement for his participation in the “Beer Hall Putsch” but spends only nine months in prison. ㅤFollowing his failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, was arrested and tried for high treason before the People’s Court of Bavaria. Presided over by Georg…
Paul M. Krueger 