History
On this day in 1510: Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance, died.
One of the defining artistic voices of the Florentine Renaissance, Sandro Botticelli, died on 17 May 1510 in Florence. More...
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On this day in 1929: The first Academy Awards: Hollywood’s night that changed cinema forever
On 16 May 1929, the first Academy Awards ceremony was held at the legendary Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles,...
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On this day in 1859: Pierre Curie, cowinner (with his wife, Marie Curie) of the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics, was born
On this day, one of the most influential physicists in modern history was born. French scientist Pierre Curie, who shared...
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On this day in 1948: Israel’s independence declaration reshaped the Middle East
On 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv, ending decades of...
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On this day in 1940: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
On this day in 1940, newly appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered one of the most famous speeches in...
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On this day in 1972: The Rolling Stones released Exile on Main Street
On this day in 1972, British rock group The Rolling Stones released the landmark double album Exile on Main St.,...
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On this day in 1960: Adolf Eichmann captured in Argentina
On this day in 1960, Israeli intelligence agents captured Nazi official Adolf Eichmann near Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a covert...
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On this day in 1994: Nelson Mandela became the first Black president of South Africa.
On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first Black president of South Africa, marking one of the...
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On this day in 1502: Christopher Columbus set sail from Cádiz, Spain, hoping to find a passage to Asia
On 9 May 1502, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus departed from Cádiz on what would become his fourth and final voyage...
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On this day in 1980: The day humanity defeated smallpox
On this day in 1980, the World Health Organization officially declared that smallpox had been eradicated, marking one of the...
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