On August 12, 1676, in the swampy woodlands near Mount Hope in present-day Bristol, Rhode Island, the Wampanoag sachem Metacomet—known to the English as “King Philip”—was shot and killed by an Indigenous ally of the English named John Alderman. The single musket ball ended…
Read More
The 1994 Major League Baseball strike stands as one of the most significant and disruptive events in the history of the sport, marking a period of deep conflict between the players and team owners. The strike, which began on August 12, 1994, was primarily…
Read More
On August 12, 1981, IBM revolutionized the world when it offered regular people the power of computing at their fingertips at home or in the office. The introduction of the IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC marked a pivotal development in…
Read More
On August 11, 1942, in the midst of World War II’s escalating technological arms race, Austrian-born actress Hedy Lamarr and American avant-garde composer George Antheil were awarded U.S. Patent No. 2,292,387 for an invention few in the entertainment world—or the military establishment—could have anticipated.…
Read More
It was a joke that put everyone on edge. On August 11, 1984, during a routine sound check before his weekly Saturday radio address, President Ronald Reagan made a remark that would become one of the most infamous gaffes of his presidency. Testing the…
Read More
On August 11, 3114 BC, time began. That is, at least if you were an ancient Mayan. The Mayan Long Count calendar, an intricate and sophisticated timekeeping system, has captivated scholars and historians for centuries. Its origins trace back to the ancient Maya civilization,…
Read More
On August 10, 1954, in the small upstate town of Massena, New York, political leaders, engineers, and dignitaries gathered for an event that had been more than half a century in the making: the groundbreaking of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Beneath a bright summer…
Read More
On Aug. 10, 1962, in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15, an American superhero came to life and changed comic books and, eventually, movies forever. Created by the collaborative team of writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Spider-Man was an instant sensation with readers. “Spider-Man was a…
Read More
On August 10, 1519, Ferdinand Magellan embarked on one of the most ambitious and historic voyages in the annals of exploration: the first circumnavigation of the globe. This monumental journey, undertaken under the auspices of the Spanish crown, would forever alter the world’s understanding…
Read More
In one of the most brutal crimes in modern American history, followers of cult leader Charles Manson carried out a murderous rampage at a Benedict Canyon estate, leaving five people dead — among them the eight-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate, wife of film director Roman…
Read More
