222
Ancient
Emperor Elagabalus Assassinated
The teenage Roman Emperor Elagabalus was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard and replaced by his cousin Alexander Severus. Elagabalus had shocked Rome with his religious practices.
On This Day in History
1702
Culture
First English-Language Daily Newspaper Published
The Daily Courant, the first regular English-language daily newspaper, was published in London by Elizabeth Mallet. It contained news from European capitals.
1848
Politics
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte Elected in France
Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, was elected President of the French Republic by an overwhelming majority. He would later declare himself Emperor Napoleon III.
1918
Disaster
First Cases of Spanish Flu Reported
The first known cases of the 1918 influenza pandemic were reported at Fort Riley, Kansas. The pandemic would eventually kill an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide.
1941
War & Conflict
Lend-Lease Act Signed
President Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act, allowing the U.S. to supply weapons and material to Allied nations fighting the Axis powers. The program was crucial to the Allied war effort before U.S. entry into WWII.
2004
Disaster
Madrid Train Bombings
A series of coordinated bomb attacks on commuter trains in Madrid killed 193 people and wounded approximately 2,000. The attacks, carried out by Islamist extremists, were the deadliest terrorist attack in Spanish history.
2011
Disaster
Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Strike Japan
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a devastating tsunami. The disaster killed nearly 20,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.