1556
Shanxi Earthquake
The deadliest earthquake in recorded history struck the Shaanxi province in China. It is estimated to have killed approximately 830,000 people, devastating a wide area and causing massive landslides.
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All Events
1849
First Medical Doctorate Awarded to a Woman
Elizabeth Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York, becoming the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. Her achievement broke a major barrier in the medical profession.
1960
Bathyscaphe Trieste Reaches Deepest Ocean Point
Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh descended to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste. They reached a depth of nearly 35,800 feet, the deepest known point in Earth's oceans.
1964
Ratification of the 24th Amendment
The United States ratified the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections. This was a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement, removing a barrier to voting for many poor citizens.
2002
Capture of Daniel Pearl
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan, by a militant group. His subsequent murder highlighted the dangers faced by journalists covering conflict zones and the rise of extremist terrorism.