1887: First Groundhog Day Celebrated in Punxsutawney

On February 2, 1887, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, celebrated the first official Groundhog Day, a holiday with roots in ancient traditions. The Origins of Groundhog Day On February...

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...

Eurotunnel Connects Britain and France

On Dec. 1, 1990, British and French construction workers joined the two halves of the Eurotunnel, physically linking Britain and France for the first...

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...

1737: First St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in America

On March 17, 1737, Boston became the first American city to celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. St. Patrick’s Day Comes...

1970: Jury Convicts Five of Chicago Seven

On February 18, 1970, five members of the “Chicago Seven” were found guilty of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Trial Illustrates Cultural Divide...

1997: Rap Icon Notorious B.I.G. Murdered

On March 9, 1997, Biggie Smalls was killed in a Los Angeles drive-by shooting that may have been linked to rap industry rivalries. His...

1937: President Roosevelt Proposes “Court-Packing” Plan

On February 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Congress with legislation intended to manufacture Supreme Court approval for his New Deal. “Court-Packing” Bill Fails...

USSR established -1922

In post-revolutionary Russia, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) is established, comprising a confederation of Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, and the Transcaucasian Federation (divided...

1952: British WWII Code Breaker Alan Turing Goes on Trial for Homosexuality

On March 31, 1952, Alan Turing, computer technology pioneer and breaker of the Nazi Enigma code, was put on trial for homosexual acts. Found...