711
War & Conflict
Tariq ibn Ziyad Lands at Gibraltar
The Berber general Tariq ibn Ziyad landed near the rock that would bear his name: Jabal Tariq (Gibraltar). The landing began the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Spain.
On This Day in History
1789
Exploration
Mutiny on the Bounty
Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against Captain William Bligh aboard HMS Bounty in the Pacific Ocean. Bligh and 18 loyalists were set adrift in a small boat but survived a 3,600-mile journey.
1919
Politics
League of Nations Covenant Adopted
The Paris Peace Conference adopted the Covenant of the League of Nations. The organization was intended to prevent future wars through collective security.
1945
War & Conflict
Mussolini Executed by Italian Partisans
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was captured and executed by communist partisans near Lake Como. His body was hung upside down in Milan's Piazzale Loreto.
1947
Exploration
Thor Heyerdahl Sets Sail on Kon-Tiki
Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and five companions set sail from Peru on a balsa wood raft named Kon-Tiki. The 4,300-mile voyage proved that ancient peoples could have crossed the Pacific.
1952
Politics
Treaty of San Francisco Takes Effect
The Treaty of San Francisco officially ended the state of war between Japan and most Allied nations. Japan regained its sovereignty after seven years of American occupation.
2001
Space
Dennis Tito Becomes First Space Tourist
American businessman Dennis Tito became the first paying space tourist, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station. He reportedly paid $20 million.