On This Day: Iraq Invades Kuwait, Leading to Persian Gulf War
On Aug. 2, 1990, Iraqi soldiers invaded the Gulf state of Kuwait in the early morning hours, precipitating the start of the Persian Gulf...
1974: Heiress Patty Hearst Kidnapped
On February 4, 1974, members of the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst, 19, granddaughter of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. After months of...
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...
44 B.C.: Julius Caesar Assassinated
On March 15, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators hoping to restore the Roman republic.
Caesar Murdered on the Ides...
1964: Muhammad Ali Wins Heavyweight Title
On February 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay became the world heavyweight boxing champion, defeating Sonny Liston in an upset.
“I Shook Up the World”
Muhammad Ali,...
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...
1917: Russia’s February Revolution Begins
On March 8, 1917, the female factory workers of Petrograd began striking and rioting in response to food shortages and government oppression. Other Petrograd...
1898: USS Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor
On February 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, escalating tensions with Spain and contributing to the outbreak of the...
1960: Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins Begin
On February 1, 1960, four black college students refused to leave a lunch counter where they were denied service, sparking a wave of sit-in...
1773: American Patriots Carry Out Boston Tea Party
On Dec. 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and destroyed their cargo of tea, taking another...
