1991: “Birmingham Six” Freed After 16 Years in Prison

On March 14, 1991, six men wrongfully accused of carrying out Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing attacks on two Birmingham pubs were released after...

1983: Reagan Delivers “Star Wars” Speech

On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan proposed the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a space and ground-based defense system to intercept...

1974: Russian Dissident Writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn Charged With Treason

On February 14, 1974, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Russian writer who revealed the horrors of the Soviet gulag, was charged with treason a day after...

1943: United States Defeats Japan at Guadalcanal

On February 9, 1943, the United States declared victory against Japan in the seven-month World War II campaign for Guadalcanal and nearby islands in...

1938: “Kristallnacht” Attacks Mark Unofficial Start of Holocaust

On Nov. 9, 1938, Nazi storm troopers launched a coordinated attack against Jewish communities, destroying property and shipping thousands to concentration camps. “Night of Broken...

1937: Gas Leak Causes New London School Explosion

On March 18, 1937, the worst school disaster in American history occurred when a gas explosion killed nearly 300 schoolchildren in Texas. Gas Explosion Destroys...

1972: Congress Passes Equal Rights Amendment

On March 22, 1972, the Senate approved the Equal Rights Amendment, which banned discrimination on the basis of sex. The amendment fell three states...

1836: Santa Anna Launches Siege on the Alamo

On February 23, 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna began a siege against nearly 200 Texan rebels stationed inside the Alamo. He launched an assault...

1995: Aum Shinrikyo Cult Releases Nerve Gas on Tokyo Subway

On March 20, 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released poisonous sarin gas on five Tokyo subway trains, killing 12 and injuring thousands. Poisonous...

1868: President Andrew Johnson Impeached

On February 24, 1868, Andrew Johnson became the first U.S. president to be impeached; the Senate subsequently acquitted him by a single vote. House Impeaches...