Joan of Arc burned at the stake

The 19-year-old French heroine was executed by English authorities in Rouen, Normandy, after being convicted of heresy. Her death galvanized French resistance and she was later canonized as a Catholic saint in 1920.

Anne Boleyn's marriage annulled

King Henry VIII of England had his marriage to Anne Boleyn annulled by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, just two days before her execution. This legal move was part of Henry's efforts to legitimize his subsequent marriage to Jane Seymour.

First French newspaper published

The Gazette, founded by Théophraste Renaudot, was issued in Paris, becoming the first weekly newspaper in France. It served as an official organ for royal news and was subsidized by Cardinal Richelieu.

Treaty of Paris signed

This treaty ended the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon, restoring the French borders to those of 1792. It also initiated the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ratified

The U.S. Senate ratified this treaty, formally ending the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded over 500,000 square miles of territory, including present-day California, Nevada, and Utah, to the United States.

First Indianapolis 500 race held

The inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500 took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ray Harroun won the race in his Marmon Wasp, averaging 74.6 mph, and the event became a cornerstone of American auto racing.

Lincoln Memorial dedicated

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding and Robert Todd Lincoln, the late president's only surviving son. The memorial, designed by Henry Bacon, honors Abraham Lincoln.

First 1,000-bomber RAF raid

The Royal Air Force launched Operation Millennium, a massive bombing raid on Cologne, Germany, using 1,047 bombers. The attack destroyed thousands of buildings and marked a new phase in strategic bombing during World War II.

Surveyor 1 lands on Moon

NASA's Surveyor 1 made the first soft landing on the Moon by an American spacecraft, touching down in Oceanus Procellarum. It transmitted over 11,000 photographs, proving that lunar soil could support future crewed landings.

Mariner 9 launched to Mars

NASA launched Mariner 9, the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It arrived at Mars in November 1971 and mapped 85% of the surface, including the first close-up images of volcanoes and canyons.

Concorde's final commercial flight

Air France operated the last commercial Concorde flight from New York to Paris, ending 27 years of supersonic passenger service. British Airways retired its fleet later that year, citing rising maintenance costs and low passenger numbers.

Charles Taylor sentenced for war crimes

The Special Court for Sierra Leone sentenced former Liberian president Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison for aiding rebels in Sierra Leone's civil war. He was the first former head of state convicted by an international tribunal since World War II.