399 BC
Ancient
Socrates Sentenced to Death
The Athenian jury sentenced the philosopher Socrates to death by drinking hemlock. He was convicted of corrupting the youth and impiety toward the gods of Athens.
On This Day in History
1452
Culture
Leonardo da Vinci Is Born
Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci, Italy. The ultimate Renaissance man excelled in painting, sculpture, engineering, anatomy, and countless other fields.
1865
Politics
Abraham Lincoln Dies
President Lincoln died at 7:22 AM at the Petersen House across from Ford's Theatre. Secretary of War Stanton reportedly said, 'Now he belongs to the ages.'
1912
Disaster
RMS Titanic Sinks
The RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg the previous night. Over 1,500 of the 2,224 passengers and crew perished in one of the deadliest maritime disasters.
1945
War & Conflict
Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp Liberated
British forces liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. Among the 60,000 emaciated prisoners they found was a young Anne Frank, who had died weeks earlier.
1947
Civil Rights
Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball's Color Barrier
Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. He endured racist abuse with remarkable dignity.
1989
Disaster
Hillsborough Disaster
A crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, during an FA Cup semi-final killed 97 Liverpool football fans. The tragedy led to major reforms in stadium safety.