July 30, 1858 — John Speke names Lake Victoria
A British explorer who, along with his fellow explorer Richard Burton, was among those to search for the source of...
November 14, 2020
The Past
October 25, 1854 — The Battle of Balaclava
Beginning about a year into the Crimean War (1853-6), the Battle of Balaclava is perhaps the best known engagement of...
November 19, 2020
January 13, 1847 — The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in California
Along with Texas, California was one of the major battlegrounds in the Mexican-American War of 1846 – 1848, and the...
November 24, 2020
August 6, 1846 — The Independent Treasury Act is signed into law
James Knox Polk was the eleventh President of the USA. In 1846, he approved a law restoring the Independent Treasury...
November 29, 2020
June 15, 1846 — The Oregon Treaty is signed
The area known as the Oregon Country originally encompassed a much larger area of land than is now occupied by...
December 4, 2020
July 3, 1845 — The Walker Tariff act is passed by Congress
Largely a repeal of the Black Tariffs put in place in 1842, the Walker Tariff Act (named for Secretary of...
December 9, 2020
January 29, 1845 — Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is first published
It was his first publication under his own name, and still one of his best known. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The...
December 14, 2020
October 15, 1844 — Friedrich Nietzsche is born
Of all the great philosophers, none is quite so famous for being, well, a raving loon, as Friedrich Nietzsche. Born...
December 19, 2020
May 29, 1844 — James K. Polk wins the Democratic Party’s Candidacy for U.S. President
This time around, there’s no better way to tell it than with the actual lyrics. All you need is a...
December 24, 2020
March 25, 1843 — The Thames Tunnel is opened to the public
The Thames Tunnel, connecting Rotherthithe and Wapping, was the first of its kind – the only tunnel up to that...
December 29, 2020
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