1595
Culture
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Premiered
Shakespeare's tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet' is believed to have been first performed around this date. The play became one of the most famous love stories in the English language.
On This Day in History
1845
Culture
Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' Published
Poe's poem 'The Raven' was published in the New York Evening Mirror. The haunting poem brought Poe instant fame, though not financial security.
1861
Politics
Kansas Admitted as 34th U.S. State
Kansas was admitted as a free state after years of violent conflict known as 'Bleeding Kansas.' The admission heightened tensions leading to the Civil War.
1886
Invention
Karl Benz Patents the Motorcar
German inventor Karl Benz received a patent for his Motorwagen, the first automobile with an internal combustion engine. This invention would transform transportation worldwide.
1936
Sports
First Inductees into Baseball Hall of Fame
The first five players were inducted: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. The Hall of Fame museum opened in Cooperstown three years later.
2002
Politics
Bush Identifies 'Axis of Evil'
President George W. Bush used the phrase 'axis of evil' to describe Iraq, Iran, and North Korea in his State of the Union address. The term defined post-9/11 foreign policy.
1891
Politics
Liliuokalani Becomes Queen of Hawaii
Liliuokalani became the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom. She would be overthrown in 1893 by American businessmen backed by U.S. Marines.