Discover What Happened Today in History
The Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower made their first landing in the New World at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. This event marked the beginning of the Plymouth Colony and a foundational chapter in early American history.
Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie announced the discovery of the radioactive element radium. This groundbreaking work in radioactivity would later earn them a Nobel Prize and revolutionize physics and medicine.
The first known crossword puzzle, created by journalist Arthur Wynne, was published in the New York World newspaper. It started a global puzzle craze that remains immensely popular to this day.
Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 on the ground. The event was a major tragedy that had lasting impacts on international aviation security.
The 13th b'ak'tun cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar concluded, a date some had misinterpreted as predicting a global cataclysm. The day passed without incident, but sparked worldwide cultural discussions and celebrations.