On August 18, 1868, one of the most abundant gases in the universe was discovered. Though less common on Earth, the discovery of helium marked a significant milestone in the history of chemistry and physics and has been credited to two scientists who made…
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On August 17, 1585, a company of English settlers, dispatched under the authority of Sir Walter Raleigh and commanded by Ralph Lane, made landfall on Roanoke Island—just off the coast of what is now North Carolina. This moment marked the founding of England’s first…
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On August 17, 1998, the United States witnessed a historic and dramatic moment in its political landscape as President Bill Clinton admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern. This admission came after months of speculation, investigation, and…
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On August 17, 1807, Robert Fulton changed how Americans traveled, taking a steamboat between New York City and Albany and heralding the beginning of steam navigation on the Hudson River. In 1801 Fulton met Robert R. Livingston, a signer of the U.S. Declaration of…
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In the summer of 1513, the muddy plains near Guinegate, in the borderlands of Artois, became the stage for one of the more unusual English victories of the early Tudor period. Known as the Battle of the Spurs—a name coined in sly mockery of…
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On August 16, 1858, a monumental event in the history of communication took place when U.S. President James Buchanan and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom exchanged greetings over the newly laid transatlantic telegraph cable. This achievement marked the first time that two continents…
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On August 15, 1954, Americans got their first ever copy of their new favorite magazine, Sports Illustrated. The initial cover photo snapped by Mark Kauffman on June 9, 1954 showed Milwaukee Braves slugger Eddie Mathews taking a swing against the New York Giants while…
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In the waning light of a summer’s afternoon on August 15, 1824, a crowd of unprecedented size pressed against the wharves of New York Harbor, eyes fixed upon the stately vessel Cadmus as church bells rang to welcome a hero. On its deck stood…
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On August 15, 1935, one of the brightest flames in American film and radio was suddenly snuffed out. Renowned for his wit, humor, and versatility, Will Rogers had endeared himself to millions as a vaudeville performer, film actor, radio personality, and prolific newspaper columnist.…
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On the night of August 14, 1791, deep in the forested hills of northern Saint-Domingue—the French colony that was the richest sugar producer in the world—a group of enslaved Africans gathered in secrecy for a Vodou ceremony at a place called Bois Caïman (“Alligator…
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