Discover What Happened Today in History
Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scots at Scone, beginning his campaign to secure Scottish independence from England. His reign would eventually lead to the decisive victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
The British Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, making the trading of enslaved people within the British Empire illegal. This was a major milestone in the abolitionist movement, though slavery itself continued in British territories for another 26 years.
A catastrophic fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, killing 146 garment workers, mostly young immigrant women. The disaster led to major reforms in labor laws and industrial safety standards in the United States.
The Treaty of Rome was signed, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). This foundational treaty was a crucial step toward European integration and the eventual creation of the European Union.
Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully completed their third, five-day march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to protest racial discrimination in voting. The march galvanized public opinion and contributed directly to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.