History
On this day in 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first woman prime minister
On 21 July 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike took office as prime minister of Ceylon, becoming the first woman in the world...
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On this day in 1944: Operation Valkyrie failed
Operation Valkyrie: The failed plot that nearly killed Hitler On 20 July 1944, a group of senior German officers and...
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Napoleon III declared war on Prussia and reshaped Europe
On 19 July 1870, French Emperor Napoleon III formally declared war on Prussia, beginning the conflict commonly known as the...
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On this day in 1918: The end of house Romanov
For more than 300 years, the House of Romanov ruled one of the world’s largest empires, transforming Russia from an...
Read moreDetailsOn this day in 1978: Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq
On 16 July 1979, Saddam Hussein formally became president of Iraq, completing a carefully managed rise through the ranks of...
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On this day in 2006: Cofounders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone publicly launched Twitter
On July 15, 2006, Twitter was publicly launched by co-founders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, introducing a simple...
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On this day in 1960: British ethologist Jane Goodall first arrived at what became Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania
On this day in 1960, British ethologist Jane Goodall arrived at the remote shores of what would later become Gombe...
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On this day in 1930: The first World Cup kicks off
On this day, July 13, 1930, football entered a new era as the first-ever FIFA World Cup officially began in...
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On this day in 1962: Rolling Stones performed their first show
On 12 July 1962, a little-known British blues band stepped onto the stage at London's Marquee Club for the first...
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On this day in 1897: Launch of Salomon August Andrée’s balloon-based polar expedition
On 11 July 1897, one of history’s most ambitious polar expeditions lifted into the Arctic sky. Swedish engineer and explorer...
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