NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir performed the first all-female spacewalk, marking a milestone in gender equality in space exploration and engineering.
đź“Ť International Space Station (Low Earth Orbit)
A NATO airstrike in Libya killed Khamis Gaddafi, son of Muammar Gaddafi, amid the civil war and NATO intervention. It marked a major blow to the remaining loyalist resistance.
đź“Ť Bani Walid, Libya
Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of government harassment, igniting protests that spread across the Arab world and led to the Arab Spring uprisings.
đź“Ť Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia
The United Nations General Assembly formally created UN Women, a dedicated entity to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment globally, merging several existing UN bodies.
đź“Ť New York City, United States
Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy debuted in theaters, launching one of the most successful film trilogies of all time and redefining fantasy cinema.
đź“Ť Wellington, New Zealand
Labor leader César Chávez was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in civil rights and improving labor conditions for farmworkers through nonviolent activism.
đź“Ť Washington, D.C., United States
The United Kingdom completed the world's first full decommissioning of a nuclear reactor at Windscale, marking a milestone in nuclear energy safety and environmental remediation.
đź“Ť Sellafield, United Kingdom
The United States launched Operation Linebacker II, a massive aerial bombing campaign over North Vietnam, in an attempt to force negotiations. It led to the Paris Peace Accords the following month.
đź“Ť Hanoi, North Vietnam
Prime Minister Harold Holt vanished while swimming near Portsea, Victoria, sparking a national crisis and conspiracy theories. His body was never recovered, and he was declared dead two days later.
đź“Ť Portsea, Victoria, Australia
NASA launched Gemini 6A, piloted by astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, achieving the first-ever space rendezvous with Gemini 7, a crucial step toward future moon missions.
đź“Ť Cape Kennedy, Florida, United States
The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania became the first commercial nuclear power plant in the U.S. to deliver electricity to the grid, marking the start of civilian nuclear energy.
đź“Ť Shippingport, Pennsylvania, United States
An armistice was signed between the Ottoman Empire and Balkan League allies (Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro), halting hostilities in the First Balkan War and reshaping southeastern Europe's borders.
đź“Ť London, United Kingdom
Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully completed the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, revolutionizing human transportation and aviation.
đź“Ť Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States
Panama and the U.S. signed the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, giving the U.S. control over the Panama Canal Zone. The agreement allowed the construction and long-term operation of the Panama Canal.
đź“Ť Panama City, Panama
Wilhelm Grimm, one half of the famous Brothers Grimm who collected and popularized German folklore such as 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Snow White', died in Berlin at age 73.
đź“Ť Berlin, Prussia (now Germany)
SimĂłn BolĂvar, the revolutionary leader who played a central role in the independence of several South American countries, died at age 47. He remains a key symbol of anti-colonial struggle.
đź“Ť Santa Marta, Gran Colombia (now Colombia)
Gran Colombia, a short-lived republic comprising modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, formally adopted its first constitution, laying the legal foundation for independence from Spain.
đź“Ť CĂşcuta, Gran Colombia (now Colombia)
Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovered Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. It became the first known moon of Saturn and later a primary focus of planetary exploration due to its thick atmosphere.
đź“Ť The Hague, Netherlands
Sir Francis Drake, famed English navigator who completed the second circumnavigation of the globe and played a key role in defeating the Spanish Armada, died during an expedition in the Caribbean.
đź“Ť Portobelo, Panama
One of the most destructive eruptions of Mount Etna struck eastern Sicily, killing thousands. It is among the earliest well-documented volcanic disasters in European history.
đź“Ť Sicily, Italy