Discover What Happened Today in History
Charles Darwin's revolutionary book, which introduced the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection, was first published in London. It fundamentally altered the understanding of the natural world and humanity's place within it.
Two days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, live on television. This event fueled countless conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination.
The fossilized bones of a 3.2-million-year-old hominin, later named 'Lucy', were discovered in Ethiopia by paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson. The remarkably complete skeleton provided crucial evidence about early human evolution and bipedalism.
The House Un-American Activities Committee cited ten Hollywood figures for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about alleged communist influence. This marked the official beginning of the Hollywood blacklist during the Red Scare.
Union forces under General Joseph Hooker defeated Confederate troops in the 'Battle Above the Clouds' during the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. The victory helped break the Confederate siege of the city.