On February 4, 1992, Venezuela experienced an attempted coup d’état led by Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chávez and a faction of military officers against President Carlos Andrés Pérez. Though unsuccessful, the rebellion marked a turning point in Chávez’s political trajectory, laying the foundation for his…
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On February 4, 1789, George Washington unanimously won the Electoral College, becoming the first winner of a presidential election. Washington’s reluctance to assume the presidency further solidified his image as a leader of virtue and selflessness and, in many ways, contributed to the unanimity.…
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On February 3, 1451, Mehmed II ascended the throne of the Ottoman Empire, inheriting a state that was powerful, ambitious, and unfinished. At just nineteen years old, Mehmed succeeded his father, Murad II, whose reign had stabilized Ottoman rule in Anatolia and the Balkans…
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On February 3, 1637, the speculative bubble known as Tulip Mania collapsed in the Dutch Republic, marking one of history’s most infamous financial crashes. What began as a thriving market for exotic tulip bulbs spiraled into a speculative frenzy, culminating in a devastating collapse…
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“The Day the Music Died,” February 3, 1959, remains one of the most tragic events in music history. On that day the world lost three iconic musicians—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. These artists had just finished performing at the…
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On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, officially ending the Mexican-American War. This agreement fundamentally altered the territorial boundaries of both nations, with Mexico ceding a vast portion of its northern land to the United States. While this expansion significantly…
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On February 2, 1887, the people of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, decided to become America’s official winter forecasting site by celebrating Groundhog’s Day. This unique tradition centers around Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog designated by the town’s Groundhog Club to predict the weather. Drawing from ancient European…
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On February 1, 1865, Abraham Lincoln affixed his signature to the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, completing the final executive step in abolishing slavery throughout the nation. The act itself—quiet, procedural, and almost anticlimactic—belied the enormity of its meaning. With a few…
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On February 1, 2003, the world watched in shock as the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, tragically killing all seven astronauts aboard. The disaster occurred just 16 minutes before the shuttle was scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center, marking…
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As war raged across Europe, America knew it needed to find its “voice.” Amidst the throes of World War II, the United States government recognized the need for a propaganda tool to counteract the misinformation spread by Axis powers. Voice of America began its…
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