On This Day
Discover the events and people that shaped this day in history.
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1906
Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont flew his powered 14-bis aircraft for roughly 60 metres at Bagatelle, in a publicly witnessed flight recognized by the Aéro-Club de France.
Royalist and Parliamentarian armies fought at Edgehill in Warwickshire in the first major pitched battle of the English Civil War. Neither side won a decisive victory.
Reformers gathered in Worcester, Massachusetts, for the first National Women’s Rights Convention, debating voting rights, education and equality before the law.
Japan officially proclaimed the beginning of the Meiji era under Emperor Mutsuhito, a name later associated with rapid political and economic modernization.
British-led Allied forces launched a major offensive against Axis positions in Egypt. The battle became a turning point in the North African campaign of World War II.
Student-led demonstrations in Budapest grew into a nationwide uprising against the Soviet-backed government and Soviet domination of Hungary.
Apple unveiled its first iPod music player, promising to put up to 1,000 songs in a pocket-sized device. It would go on to transform portable music listening.
1905121 years ago
American swimmer who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926.
1925101 years ago
American television host who presented The Tonight Show for three decades and became a late-night TV legend.
194086 years ago
Brazilian football icon who won three FIFA World Cups and became one of the most celebrated players in the sport’s history.
195472 years ago
Taiwanese film director known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi.
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