1135
Politics
Alfonso VII Crowned Emperor of Spain
Alfonso VII of Leon and Castile was crowned Emperor of All Spain in a ceremony at Leon Cathedral. His reign represented the peak of Leonese imperial ideology.
On This Day in History
1521
Religion
Martin Luther Declared an Outlaw
The Edict of Worms officially declared Martin Luther an outlaw and heretic, banning his writings. Luther was sheltered by Frederick the Wise at Wartburg Castle.
1805
Politics
Napoleon Crowned King of Italy
Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy at Milan Cathedral. He placed the Iron Crown of Lombardy on his own head, famously saying 'God gave it to me; woe to him who touches it.'
1865
War & Conflict
Last Confederate Forces Surrender
The last major Confederate army, under General Edmund Kirby Smith, surrendered in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. This effectively ended the American Civil War.
1896
Invention
Dow Jones Industrial Average First Published
Charles Dow published the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average with 12 stocks. The index has become the most widely followed stock market indicator.
1940
War & Conflict
Dunkirk Evacuation Begins
The evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France, began as German forces closed in. Over nine days, approximately 338,000 troops were rescued across the English Channel.
1972
Politics
U.S. and Soviet Union Sign ABM Treaty
President Nixon and General Secretary Brezhnev signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in Moscow. The agreement limited the deployment of missile defense systems during the Cold War.