1911
Exploration
Amundsen Reaches South Pole
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first humans to reach the geographic South Pole. They arrived 35 days ahead of Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated British expedition.
On This Day in History
2012
Disaster
Sandy Hook School Shooting
A gunman killed 20 children and 6 staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The massacre of young children renewed the debate on gun control in America.
1799
Politics
George Washington Dies
The first President of the United States died at his Mount Vernon estate at age 67. The nation mourned the loss of the man known as the 'Father of His Country.'
1819
Politics
Alabama Becomes 22nd State
Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state. The Deep South state would later become a pivotal battleground in the civil rights movement.
1900
Science
Quantum Theory Born
Max Planck presented his quantum hypothesis to the German Physical Society, proposing that energy is emitted in discrete packets called 'quanta.' This radical idea launched the quantum revolution in physics.
1542
Politics
Mary Queen of Scots Born
Mary Stuart was born at Linlithgow Palace and became Queen of Scotland when she was just six days old. Her dramatic life of intrigue, imprisonment, and execution became legendary.
1946
Politics
UN General Assembly Chooses New York
The United Nations General Assembly voted to establish the permanent UN headquarters in New York City. The decision made New York the center of international diplomacy.