73
Ancient
Fall of Masada
The Roman siege of Masada ended when legionaries breached the fortress walls. According to Josephus, the 960 Jewish defenders chose mass suicide rather than Roman enslavement.
On This Day in History
1746
War & Conflict
Battle of Culloden
British government forces decisively defeated the Jacobite army at Culloden in Scotland. The battle ended the Jacobite rising and the Stuart claim to the British throne.
1789
Politics
George Washington Leaves Mount Vernon for Inauguration
President-elect Washington departed his Mount Vernon estate for New York City and his inauguration. His journey became a triumphant procession with celebrations at every stop.
1862
Civil Rights
Slavery Abolished in Washington, D.C.
President Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, freeing approximately 3,100 enslaved people in the capital. Slaveholders received up to $300 per person.
1912
Exploration
Harriet Quimby Flies Across English Channel
American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Her achievement was overshadowed by news of the Titanic sinking.
1943
Science
Albert Hofmann Accidentally Discovers LSD Effects
Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally absorbed LSD through his skin and experienced its hallucinogenic effects. Three days later, he deliberately took a dose in the first intentional LSD trip.
2007
Crime
Virginia Tech Shooting
A gunman killed 32 people and wounded 17 others on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the time.