1401
War & Conflict
Timur Sacks Damascus
The Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) captured and sacked Damascus, Syria. The city's artisans and scholars were deported to Timur's capital, Samarkand.
On This Day in History
1603
Politics
James VI of Scotland Becomes James I of England
James VI of Scotland became James I of England following the death of Elizabeth I, uniting the English and Scottish crowns. The Union of the Crowns did not merge the two kingdoms.
1765
Politics
British Parliament Passes Quartering Act
Parliament passed the Quartering Act, requiring American colonies to provide housing for British soldiers. The act increased colonial resentment of British authority.
1882
Science
Robert Koch Announces Discovery of Tuberculosis Bacillus
German physician Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The discovery revolutionized the understanding and treatment of infectious disease.
1944
War & Conflict
Great Escape from Stalag Luft III
76 Allied prisoners of war escaped from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III through a tunnel. Only three reached freedom; 50 of the recaptured men were executed by the Gestapo.
1989
Disaster
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
The oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling over 11 million gallons of crude oil. It was one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.
1999
War & Conflict
NATO Begins Bombing Yugoslavia
NATO forces began a 78-day bombing campaign against Yugoslavia to stop the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo. It was NATO's first military action against a sovereign country.