Daily History
All stories

On This Day in History

Every story we have published, newest first. One true, surprising story from history for each day.

  1. Great Famine Grips Europe Natural disaster
  2. Magellan's Fleet Departs for First Circumnavigation Exploration
  3. Soviet Union Declares War on Japan War & conflict
  4. U.S. Marines Launch First Major Pacific Offensive at Guadalcanal War & conflict
  5. Atomic Bomb Destroys Hiroshima War & conflict
  6. Enola Gay departs for Hiroshima, ushering in the nuclear age War & conflict
  7. Britain declares war on Germany, entering World War I War & conflict
  8. Columbus Departs for the Americas Exploration
  9. Iraq Invades Kuwait, Triggering the Gulf War War & conflict
  10. Vasco da Gama Reaches India Exploration
  11. Nixon Announces Resignation on Live Television Politics & state
  12. NASA Formally Established Technology
  13. Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia War & conflict
  14. Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia, Triggering World War I War & conflict
  15. Apollo 11 Moon Landing — Humanity's Giant Leap Exploration
  16. Louise Brown: First Test-Tube Baby Born Science & discovery
  17. Apollo 11 crew splashes down: first humans return from the Moon Exploration
  18. Austria-Hungary's ultimatum to Serbia sparks path to World War I War & conflict
  19. First Color Television Broadcast Succeeds Technology
  20. First Battle of Bull Run Begins War & conflict
  21. Operation Valkyrie Assassination Attempt War & conflict
  22. Apollo-Soyuz: The First Space Handshake Technology
  23. USS Indianapolis Sunk by Japanese Torpedoes War & conflict
  24. Potsdam Conference Reshapes Post-War World Politics & state
  25. Trinity: The First Atomic Bomb Science & discovery
  26. Apollo and Soyuz Dock in Orbit Technology
  27. Mariner 4 Sends First Close-Up Mars Images to Earth Science & discovery
  28. World's First Commercial Telephone Exchange Opens Technology
  29. Battle of the Boyne: William III defeats James II, securing Protestant rule in Ireland War & conflict
  30. Srebrenica Falls; 8,000 Slain in Genocide War & conflict
  31. Telstar Satellite Enables First Transatlantic Television Transmission Technology
  32. Juan de la Cierva Demonstrates Autogyro Technology
  33. The Roswell UFO Mystery Begins Science & discovery
  34. Japan Launches Full-Scale Invasion of China at Marco Polo Bridge War & conflict
  35. Sir Thomas More Executed for Defying Henry VIII Politics & state
  36. NHS Established: Free Healthcare for All Britain Politics & state
  37. The Higgs Boson Confirmed Science & discovery
  38. Battle of Gettysburg Concludes—Union Victory Secured War & conflict
  39. Amelia Earhart disappearance Exploration
  40. The Battle of Gettysburg begins War & conflict
  41. The Tunguska Event Natural disaster
  42. Jacques Cartier's arrival in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Exploration
  43. Treaty of Versailles Politics & state
  44. Start of the Korean War War & conflict
  45. Ich bin ein Berliner speech Politics & state
  46. French surrender to Germany War & conflict
  47. Napoleon's invasion of Russia War & conflict
  48. Title IX Politics & state
  49. Germany launches Operation Barbarossa War & conflict
  50. Three civil rights workers are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi Politics & state
  51. Transfer of Wernher von Braun to the United States Technology
  52. Juneteenth Politics & state
  53. Napoleon's Defeat at Waterloo War & conflict
  54. Mumtaz Mahal's Death and the Taj Mahal People
  55. Incorporation of the Ford Motor Company Technology
  56. Magna Carta Politics & state
  57. Adoption of the Stars and Stripes Politics & state
  58. 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution Politics & state
  59. Ronald Reagan's Brandenburg Gate speech Politics & state
  60. Benjamin Franklin demonstrates the connection between lightning and electricity Science & discovery