Discover What Happened Today in History
U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The iconic photograph by Joe Rosenthal became one of the most famous images of World War II and a potent symbol of American resilience.
Traditionally dated to this day, the first major book printed in the West using movable type, the Gutenberg Bible, was completed in Mainz. This event revolutionized the production and dissemination of knowledge in Europe.
The first mass inoculation of children with the Salk polio vaccine began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This marked a critical public health campaign to combat the devastating poliomyelitis epidemic.
Mexican forces under General Santa Anna began their siege of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas. The nearly two-week siege culminated in the famous Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution.
Astronomers first observed Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby galaxy. It was the closest observed supernova since 1604 and provided a wealth of data for modern astrophysics.