Discover What Happened Today in History
On his third voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus became the first European to sight the island of Trinidad. This discovery opened the way for further Spanish exploration of the South American mainland.
English writer Daniel Defoe, author of 'Robinson Crusoe,' was punished for seditious libel after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet. His public humiliation in the pillory turned into a show of support from the crowd, who threw flowers instead of rotten food.
Germany's National Assembly adopted the Weimar Constitution, establishing the country's first democratic republic. This framework governed Germany during the turbulent interwar period until the rise of the Nazi Party.
Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first to drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon's surface. This greatly expanded the range of their scientific exploration during the Apollo 15 mission.
U.S. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) in Moscow. It was the first treaty to actually reduce (not just limit) the number of strategic nuclear weapons held by the two superpowers.