October 12, 539 BC: The Fall Of Babylon

On October 12, 539 BC, one of the most dramatic and consequential events in ancient history unfolded: the fall of Babylon to the army of Cyrus the Great, king of Persia. The conquest did not merely mark the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire—it signaled…

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October 11, 1865: Jamaica Enters Into A Rebellion

On October 11, 1865, hundreds of Black men and women gathered in the coastal town of Morant Bay, Jamaica, to protest against the deep injustices that had come to define post-emancipation colonial life. Their march—disciplined, defiant, and desperate—would ignite one of the most consequential…

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October 10, 1845: America Gets Serious About The Seas

On October 10, 1845, the United States Naval School opened in Annapolis, Maryland, with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors. The curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French. “When the founders of the United States Naval Academy…

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