1605
Politics
Gunpowder Plot Foiled
Guy Fawkes was discovered guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder beneath the House of Lords, foiling a Catholic conspiracy to blow up Parliament. The event is commemorated annually on Bonfire Night in Britain.
On This Day in History
1872
Politics
Susan B. Anthony Votes
Women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony illegally voted in the presidential election in Rochester, New York. She was arrested and convicted, but her act of civil disobedience advanced the women's voting rights movement.
1940
Politics
FDR Wins Third Term
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to an unprecedented third term as president, breaking the two-term tradition established by George Washington. The feat led to the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms.
1854
War & Conflict
Battle of Inkerman
British and French forces repelled a Russian attack at Inkerman during the Crimean War. The 'Soldiers' Battle,' fought in thick fog, was decided by small-unit infantry combat rather than grand tactics.
1930
Culture
Sinclair Lewis Wins Nobel Prize
Sinclair Lewis became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His satirical novels, including Main Street and Babbitt, brilliantly captured American life and values.
1895
Technology
George Selden Patents Automobile
George Selden received a patent for a gasoline-powered automobile, though he had filed the application 16 years earlier. Henry Ford later successfully challenged the patent, opening up auto manufacturing.
2009
Disaster
Fort Hood Shooting
Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 people and wounding over 30. The shooting was the deadliest mass murder at a US military installation.