Discover What Happened Today in History
German-born British astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, initially mistaking it for a comet. This was the first planet discovered with a telescope, expanding the known boundaries of the solar system.
Tsar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated in Saint Petersburg by members of the revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya (People's Will). He was killed by a bomb thrown at his carriage, an event that halted his reforms and led to a period of severe repression under his successor.
The Butler Act was signed into law in Tennessee, prohibiting public school teachers from denying the Biblical account of man's origin. This law set the stage for the famous Scopes 'Monkey' Trial later that year, a major cultural clash over evolution and religion.
Nazi forces began the final liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto in occupied Poland, deporting approximately 8,000 Jews deemed 'fit for work' to the Plaszow labor camp and sending around 2,000 others, mainly the sick and elderly, to their deaths at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Microsoft Corporation had its initial public offering (IPO), making Bill Gates an instant billionaire and several employees millionaires. The IPO marked a pivotal moment in the rise of the personal computer software industry.