Discover What Happened Today in History
Vladimir Lenin arrived in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) after a sealed train journey from exile in Switzerland. His return, facilitated by Germany, marked a pivotal moment that galvanized the Bolshevik movement and led directly to the October Revolution later that year.
Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally ingested a small amount of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and experienced its profound psychedelic effects. This deliberate self-experiment, following an earlier accidental exposure, marked the discovery of LSD's potent psychoactive properties.
A student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute killed 32 people and wounded 17 others before taking his own life. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history at the time, leading to national debates on gun control and campus security.
The Soviet Red Army launched a massive offensive against German defensive positions at the Seelow Heights, east of Berlin. This was one of the final, bloodiest battles on the Eastern Front in World War II, breaching the last major defensive line before Berlin.
Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, completing the 'Tiger Slam' by holding all four major golf championships simultaneously (though not in the same calendar year). This victory cemented his dominance in the sport.