Twitter launched as a microblogging platform, revolutionizing global communication by allowing users to share short messages in real time. It would grow into a major force in news, activism, and culture.
📍 San Francisco, California, United States
World Snake Day, an informal global awareness event focused on snake conservation and education, began gaining traction in the early 1990s. It promotes understanding of reptiles and their ecosystems.
📍 Global
Spain’s first democratically elected parliament since the Franco dictatorship convened, marking a major milestone in the country's transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.
📍 Madrid, Spain
The Boeing 747, known as the 'Jumbo Jet,' completed its first commercial passenger flight to Tokyo, ushering in the era of wide-body air travel and transforming global aviation.
📍 Tokyo, Japan
NASA launched Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Center, sending astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins on the first successful mission to land humans on the Moon.
📍 Cape Kennedy, Florida, United States
The United States conducted the world’s first successful nuclear explosion during the Trinity Test in New Mexico, marking the beginning of the atomic age and transforming global warfare.
📍 Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States
The Second Battle of the Marne began, marking the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War I. Allied victory here led to a turning point in the war’s outcome.
📍 Marne River, France
Dr. Albert Hustin in Belgium performed the first successful non-direct blood transfusion using stored blood, revolutionizing trauma care and wartime medicine.
📍 Brussels, Belgium
Italy moved toward war with the Ottoman Empire over control of Libya, marking the beginning of the Italo-Turkish War. The conflict previewed the modern colonial and military tactics of WWI.
📍 Rome, Italy
Edward Shackleton, son of famed explorer Ernest Shackleton, was born. He became a respected geographer and politician, playing key roles in British post-war science and mapping the Falkland Islands.
📍 Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
The first Buddhist temple in Canada opened in Vancouver, marking a milestone in North American religious diversity and the growth of Asian-Canadian communities.
📍 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Anton Chekhov, one of the greatest writers in world literature, was born. His plays and short stories influenced modern drama and fiction with their psychological depth and realism.
📍 Taganrog, Russian Empire
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first U.S. citizen to be canonized as a Catholic saint, was born in Italy. She founded numerous schools, hospitals, and orphanages, especially for immigrants in the U.S.
📍 Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy
Spain formally ceded Florida to the United States under the Adams–Onís Treaty, expanding U.S. territory and influence in the southeast while ending centuries of Spanish control.
📍 Florida, United States
French soldiers discovered the Rosetta Stone in Egypt, which later enabled scholars to decode Egyptian hieroglyphs and revolutionize the study of ancient civilizations.
📍 Rosetta (Rashid), Egypt
Giacomo Casanova, Venetian adventurer, author, and infamous lover, died. His memoirs provide detailed insight into 18th-century European society, politics, and romance.
📍 Dux, Bohemia (now Duchcov, Czech Republic)
Clement Clarke Moore, credited with writing the iconic poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' (better known as '’Twas the Night Before Christmas'), was born, shaping the modern image of Santa Claus.
📍 New York City, United States
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) established a stronghold in Batavia (present-day Jakarta), becoming a dominant force in global trade and colonialism for over two centuries.
📍 Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia
John Ball, a radical priest and a leader of the English Peasants’ Revolt, was executed for inciting rebellion. His sermons inspired calls for social equality and resistance to feudal oppression.
📍 St Albans, England
Saint Swithun, an Anglo-Saxon bishop known for humility and miracles, died on this day. His feast day and associated weather folklore—especially in the UK—endure to this day.
📍 Winchester, England