Category: Today in History
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March 4, 1789
In New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect. ㅤThe inaugural United States Congress, convening the Senate and House of Representatives, marked the official commencement of the federal government under the 1787 Constitution. Spanning from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the nascent…
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March 3, 1776
The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau. ㅤThe Raid of Nassau, conducted on March 3-4, 1776, marked a pivotal moment in American military history as the first amphibious landing undertaken by the United States Marine Corps. Driven by a critical shortage of gunpowder during the American Revolutionary…
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February 28, 1993
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group’s leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff. ㅤThe Waco siege, a tragic confrontation between the U.S. federal government and the Branch Davidian religious group, began on February 28, 1993, at the Mount…
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February 27, 1933
Germany’s parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire; Marinus van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist claims responsibility. ㅤThe Reichstag fire, an arson attack on the German parliament building in Berlin on February 27, 1933, occurred just weeks after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor. Dutch council communist Marinus van der Lubbe was apprehended…
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February 26, 1616
Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun. ㅤOn February 19, 1616, the Inquisition’s investigation into Galileo’s advocacy of heliocentrism intensified, as a commission of theologians, the Qualifiers, were asked to evaluate the propositions of the Copernican view. This referral stemmed…
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February 26, 1919
President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park. ㅤThe journey to establish Grand Canyon National Park was a protracted process, marked by decades of advocacy and legislative hurdles. While the Grand Canyon’s awe-inspiring beauty had captivated Americans since the late 19th century, with President Theodore Roosevelt famously declaring in…
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February 25, 1933
Launch of the USS Ranger at Newport News, Virginia. It is the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned by the US Navy. ㅤThe design of the USS Ranger, the US Navy’s fourth aircraft carrier, began in 1925, marking the Navy’s first opportunity to create a ship specifically built for aviation. Unlike its predecessors, the…
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February 24, 2022
Days after recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, Russian president Vladimir Putin orders a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. ㅤIn February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. This conflict, the largest in Europe since World War II, has resulted in significant…
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February 14, 1929
Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone’s gang, are murdered in Chicago. ㅤThe Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre was the brutal killing of seven members and associates of Chicago’s North Side Gang on February 14, 1929. The victims were assembled in a Lincoln Park garage and then gunned down…
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February 14, 1990
The Voyager 1 spacecraft takes the photograph of planet Earth that later becomes famous as Pale Blue Dot. ㅤ”Pale Blue Dot” is a photograph of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe on February 14, 1990, from a distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles). Part of the “Family Portrait” series of…
Paul M. Krueger 