On June 1, 1495, John Cor changed the drinking world forever. That’s when the monk first recorded that he had begun whisky production in Scotland in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. The entry indicates that “eight bolls of malt” were allocated to “Friar John…
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On May 31, 1879, a modest but consequential shift in New York City’s cultural topography took place: Gilmoreās Garden, a frequently repurposed arena at 26th Street and Madison Avenue, was renamed Madison Square Garden by railroad heir William Henry Vanderbilt. The name change was…
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On May 31, 1859, the iconic clock tower now known as Big Ben began to keep time for the first time. Located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, the tower has since become one of the most recognizable symbols…
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It began not with a battle cry, but with a refusal. On May 30, 1381, villagers in Brentwood, Essex, stood their ground against royal tax collectorsāand in so doing, ignited one of the most explosive popular uprisings in English history. The Peasantsā Revolt, also…
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The dedication of the Lincoln Memorial on May 30, 1922, marked the commemoration of one of the nation’s most revered presidents, Abraham Lincoln. Located on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the massive marble monument stands as a tribute to…
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After more than two millennia, the Roman Empireātransfigured, fragmented, renamed, and reimaginedāfinally collapsed on May 29, 1453, as Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II breached the gates of Constantinople following a 53-day siege. With the cityās fall came the extinguishing of the last imperial…
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On May 29, 1913, the ThĆ©Ć¢tre des Champs-ĆlysĆ©es in Paris witnessed one of the most legendary and tumultuous premieres in the history of classical music: the debut of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Spring” (Le Sacre du Printemps). The event has since become…
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On May 28, 585 BC, an extraordinary event took placeāan event so striking that it brought an ongoing war to a sudden halt. As two ancient armies prepared for battle under the Anatolian sky, darkness abruptly fell in the middle of the day. A…
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The Spanish Armada, a formidable naval force assembled by King Philip II of Spain, embarked on its fateful expedition beginning on May 28, 1588. Comprising 130 ships and approximately 30,000 men, including sailors, soldiers, and support personnel, the Armada’s mission was to overthrow Queen…
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On May 27, 1703, Tsar Peter Iālater styled “the Great”āordered the construction of a fortress on a mosquito-infested island at the mouth of the Neva River. In doing so, he planted the imperial standard for what would become Saint Petersburg, a city forged not…
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