Discover What Happened Today in History
Pope Leo X issued the papal bull 'Decet Romanum Pontificem,' formally excommunicating Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. This act solidified the split between Luther and Rome, accelerating the Protestant Reformation.
General George Washington's Continental Army defeated British forces at Princeton, New Jersey. This victory boosted American morale after the successful surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton days earlier.
Marvin C. Stone received the first U.S. patent for the modern paper drinking straw. His invention, made of waxed paper, was created as a sanitary alternative to the rye grass straws commonly used at the time.
British archaeologist Howard Carter found the stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. This was a pivotal moment in the excavation of the nearly intact royal tomb.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska into the Union as the 49th state. This followed a long territorial history and a popular referendum where Alaskans voted strongly for statehood.
In the wake of rising Cold War tensions, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced the severing of all diplomatic and consular relations with Fidel Castro's Cuba. This formalized the hostile relationship that would lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis.