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French regular troops at a defensive position in Paris. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1871, the Prussian Siege of Paris came to an end after 4 months. Beginning in the summer of 1870, French forces had been at war with the North German Confederation; the conflict, known as the Franco-Prussian War, was a result…
This article is a revised version of an essay submitted for academic credit at the University of Toronto. A French child greets British Indian soldiers during a break from the front lines. (Reddit) At the outset of WWII, Britain had one of the best armies in the world. Years of small but tough engagements such…
The battle at the Fushimi Bridge. The Imperial forces, at right, absolutely ruined the shogunate troops (at left) with cannon and rifle fire. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1868, 5,000 Imperial Japanese soldiers engaged over 15,000 Tokugawa Shogunate men during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Taking place near modern-day Kyoto, the battle - which lasted…
The Apollo Theatre in NYC. (Pinterest.com) On this day in 1934, the Apollo Theatre first opened its doors to Black Americans. The theatre, which had begun life in 1914 as a Whites-only venue, quickly became a fixture in Harlem, NYC. Its first show in 1934 was Chocolate Soldiers starring Adelaide Hall; the success of the…
Andøya Rocket Range, site of Black Brant's fateful launch. (Thornews) On this day in 1995 - nearly four years after the end of the Cold War - the Russian Federation came within minutes of launching a nuclear strike on the United States. In the morning of January 25th, a rocket was detected by Russian early-warning…
Yokoi (centre left) upon his return to Japan in 1972. (History Collection) On this day in 1972, Shōichi Yokoi - a Sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army, or IJA - was found in a remote cave in the jungles Guam. Yokoi had served with the IJA's 38th Infantry Regiment during WWII, and fought in several…
Alphonse de Neuville's 1880 painting depicts the heroic British defense, based entirely on British eyewitness accounts. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1879, a group of roughly 150 British Red Coats completed their defence of Rorke's Drift - a trading post known as kwaJimu (Jim's Land) to the South African locals - against a force…
A women's march in the United States in 1970. (Skydancingblog.com) On this day in 1973, the American Supreme Court voted 7-2 in favour of legalizing abortion in all 50 US states following the landmark Roe v. Wade case. In December of 1971, a Texas woman - using the name Jane Roe - had challenged a…
A panorama taken by Spirit on Mars. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 2004, the Spirit Rover - or, MER-A (Mars Exploration Rover-A) - lost contact with NASA headquarters while performing an exploratory mission on Mars. 17 sols (Martian days) into its journey - which had begun in late 2003 - Spirit suddenly stopped communicating.…
Continue reading ➞ 01/21 – The Spirit Rover Almost Kills Itself
Icelanders revolt. (AP) On this day in 2009, the largest protests in Icelandic history took place at the Althing (parliament building) in Reykjavik in response to the 2008 Financial Crash. Like billions of people around the world, Icelanders were furious with their leaders' handling of the crisis that devastated their economy. Beginning in 2008... The…
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