Discover What Happened Today in History
Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of Roman senators led by Brutus and Cassius. This event triggered a series of civil wars that led to the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
Christopher Columbus returned to the port of Palos de la Frontera in Spain after his first voyage to the Americas. His return with news of the 'New World' dramatically altered European understanding of geography and initiated an age of exploration and colonization.
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia abdicated the throne for himself and his son, ending the Romanov dynasty's 304-year rule. This event, a direct result of the February Revolution, paved the way for the Provisional Government and later the Bolshevik Revolution.
German troops marched into Czechoslovakia, occupying Bohemia and Moravia and effectively dismantling the country. This flagrant violation of the Munich Agreement demonstrated Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions and pushed Europe closer to World War II.
President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a historic speech to a joint session of Congress, urging the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Following the 'Bloody Sunday' attack on civil rights marchers in Selma, his speech famously declared 'We shall overcome'.