321
Religion
Constantine Decrees Sunday as Day of Rest
Roman Emperor Constantine I decreed that Sunday would be observed as the Roman day of rest. This was one of the earliest steps toward Christianity becoming the dominant religion of the empire.
On This Day in History
1876
Invention
Alexander Graham Bell Patents the Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was granted U.S. Patent 174,465 for the telephone. His invention would fundamentally transform human communication across the world.
1912
Exploration
Roald Amundsen Announces South Pole Discovery
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen announced that he and his team had reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. They had beaten Robert Falcon Scott's British expedition by five weeks.
1936
War & Conflict
Hitler Remilitarizes the Rhineland
Nazi Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. The lack of response from Britain and France emboldened Hitler's expansionist ambitions.
1945
War & Conflict
U.S. Forces Capture Bridge at Remagen
American forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, the last intact bridge across the Rhine River. This unexpected breakthrough allowed Allied forces to pour into the heart of Germany.
1965
Civil Rights
Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama
State troopers and county police attacked civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The televised brutality shocked the nation and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
2009
Space
Kepler Space Telescope Launched
NASA launched the Kepler Space Telescope to search for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. Kepler would discover over 2,600 exoplanets before the end of its mission.