Waco Raid

1993: ATF agents raid an armed compound of domestic terrorists and cultists in Waco, Texas, beginning a 51-day siege.

AIM Begins Occupation of Wounded Knee

1973: The American Indian Movement (AIM) begins its occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota over issues of poor conditions on reservations, native rights and treaty violations. This would begin a 71-day standoff with the US government. During the standoff, Marlon Brando refused to accept his Oscar for The Godfather in support of their actions and in protest over the poor treatment of natives in the film industry.

US Troops Withdraw from Lebanon

1984: Following an attack against US and French military forces in the capital of Beirut in late 1983, killing roughly 300, the US began to withdraw their troops from the country. The withdrawal was completed on February 26.

First Pan American Games

1951: The first Pan American Games are held in Buenos Aires. The games occur even four years, in the year prior to the Summer Olympics.

Engagement of Charles and Di Announced

1981: Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Supernova 1987A Detected

1987: Supernova 1987A is detected near the Tarantula Nebula. This was the first supernova detected in the modern era, allowing astronomers to study one for the first time. It was bright enough to be seen with the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere.

First Mammal Cloned

1997: Dolly the sheep is cloned in Scotland. This was the first successful cloning of a mammal, and it sparked a public debate about human cloning.

DNA Discovered

1954: James Watson and Francis Crick discover the structure of the DNA molecule. They would be awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their work.

Avro Arrow Cancelled

1959: The Avro Arrow project is cancelled, causing controversy and political debate.

Mir Launched

1986: The Soviet space station Mir is launched successfully. Over the following ten years, additional modules would be launched to expand the station. After 15 years of operation, it was de-orbited in 2001.

Pluto Discovered

1930: After nearly a year of searching, Clyde Tombaugh discovered the planet Pluto. The name was suggested by 11-year-old Venetia Burney, who had an interest in classical mythology.

First Weather Satellite Launched

1959: Vanguard 2 launches successfully to become the first weather satellite. It only operated for 19 days, but it remains in orbit today.

Tutankhamun Tomb Opened

1923: The burial chamber of Tutankhamun is opened for the first time in over 3000 years by the discoverer of the tomb, Howard Carter. To date, this is the only fully intact Egyptian tomb ever to be discovered.

Decimal Day Arrives

1971: Decimal Day arrives as the UK completes the decimalization of their currency. Various proposals for switching to a decimal-based system began as early as 150 years before. Today, the old system lives on in a vast amount of literature and historical records, ensuring that future generations will continue to be confounded.

Quiet Revolution Begins

1949: The Asbestos Strike is launched in Québec, beginning the Quiet Revolution. This would eventually lead to the transition away from what was essentially a Catholic sectarian dictatorship to a secular democratic system, and an end to a regime now known as the Great Darkness. The strike would also mark the beginning of the political career of Pierre Trudeau who would later be Prime Minister of Canada for fifteen years.

Black Sabbath Released

1970: The album Black Sabbath is released by the band of the same name. This is now widely viewed as the first true heavy metal album.

Venera 1 Launched

1961: The USSR launched Venera 1, the first probe sent to Venus. While the probe failed before reaching Venus, it represented a significant advance in spacecraft design. It was the first spacecraft that was spin stabilized and capable of performing course corrections during its flight.

Nuclear Leak in Tennessee

1981: 100,000 gallons of radioactive coolant leaked at the Sequoyah 1 nuclear plant in Tennessee, contaminating 14 workers.

Deep Blue Wins First Game

1996: The supercomputer Deep Blue beat Chess champion Garry Kasparov in the first game of a match, becoming the first machine to win a game against a reigning champion. However, Kasparov would go on to win the match. The following year, after upgrades, Deep Blue would successfully win a complete match.

Beatles Appear on Ed Sullivan

1964: The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, in what is now considered the beginning of the British Invasion.

Skylab Adandoned

1974: The final crew of the US Skylab space station returns to Earth. Originally NASA had planned to use the new Space Shuttle to boost the orbit of the station, and to launch additional components to refurbish and expand the station. However, the Shuttle was delayed and Skylab's orbit began to decay, leading to re-entry in 1979.

Monopoly Introduced

1935: The classic board game Monopoly in introduced.

First Titan Launch

1959: First successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Hydrogen Bomb Lost

1958: The United States Air Force lost a Mark 15 thermonuclear bomb in the ocean near Savannah, Georgia, after a midair collision. Several searches were conducted, but the bomb was never found.

Patty Hearst Kidnapped

1974: Patty Hearst is kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Canadian Parliament Burns Down

1916: The Canadian Parliament burned down after a fire started in the Centre Block. This was during the first world war, and initial rumours suggested the fire had been started by a German agent, though an investigation later determined the cause to be careless smoking.

British Embassy in Dublin Destroyed

1972: The British embassy in Dublin is destroyed by protestors in response to Bloody Sunday, where 27 civil rights protestors were shot by the British Army.

Explorer 1 Launched

1958: The US launches Explorer 1, the first successful US satellite launch, in response to the Soviet Sputnik satellites. This was a US Army operation, launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. NASA did not yet exist, though it would be created later that year.