1937
War & Conflict
Nanjing Massacre Begins
Japanese troops captured the Chinese capital of Nanjing and began a six-week orgy of murder, rape, and looting. An estimated 200,000-300,000 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were killed.
On This Day in History
2003
War & Conflict
Saddam Hussein Captured
US forces found former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein hiding in a small underground hole near his hometown of Tikrit. His capture was a major milestone in the Iraq War.
1642
Exploration
Abel Tasman Discovers New Zealand
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. He named it 'Nieuw Zeeland' after the Dutch province, though he did not land due to hostile encounters with Māori.
1577
Exploration
Sir Francis Drake Begins Circumnavigation
Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth, England, with five ships on a secret mission that would become the second circumnavigation of the globe. He returned nearly three years later loaded with Spanish treasure.
1862
War & Conflict
Battle of Fredericksburg
Union forces suffered a devastating defeat attacking entrenched Confederate positions at Fredericksburg, Virginia. The futile frontal assaults resulted in over 12,600 Union casualties.
2002
Politics
EU Enlargement Agreed
The European Union agreed to admit ten new member states, mostly from Eastern Europe. The largest single enlargement in EU history brought former Communist nations into the European project.
1981
Politics
Martial Law in Poland
General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law in Poland to crush the Solidarity trade union movement. The crackdown imprisoned thousands but failed to destroy the movement for freedom.