On This Day in History
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Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.
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What Happened On This Day in History
Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, notable birthday, and notable death. Each card opens the complete history page.
What Happened during the Siege of PrzemyśL in 1914?
Russian forces began the investment of the Austro-Hungarian fortress at Przemyśl, marking the start of Europe's longest WWI siege.
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George Chakiris
George Chakiris is an American actor and dancer. He is best known for his appearance in the 1961 film version of West Side Story as Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang, for which he won both the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe…
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Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford Jr. was an American actor, director, and producer, celebrated for his magnetic presence as a leading man during the American New Wave.
See Died TodayOn This Day in History Articles
A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.
What Happened during the Siege of PrzemyśL in 1914?
Russian forces began the investment of the Austro-Hungarian fortress at Przemyśl, marking the start of Europe's longest WWI siege.
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How Did CNJ Train 3314 Plunge into Newark Bay?
A CNJ commuter train ran through signals and derailed off an open lift bridge in Newark Bay, killing 48 people and injuring 48 others.
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How Did Two Merging Black Holes Reveal Gravitational Waves?
LIGO detected the first direct gravitational waves from merging black holes, confirming Einstein's prediction and changing astronomy.
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What Happened during the 2013 Herat US Consulate Attack?
Taliban militants detonated a truck bomb and a minivan explosion at the U.S. consulate in Herat on September 13, 2013, killing Afghan guards and wounding…
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What Made Bonanza a Milestone for Color Television?
Bonanza debuted on NBC on September 12, 1959 as the first regularly scheduled television series broadcast in color, marking a milestone for American TV…
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Why Did Air France Crash Into the Mediterranean Sea?
Air France Flight 1611 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Nice on September 11, 1968, killing all 89 passengers and six crew. The official cause…
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What Happened at the Lattimer Massacre in 1897?
On September 10, 1897 a Luzerne County sheriff's posse shot dead at least 19 unarmed immigrant miners marching near Hazleton.
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Why Did the Sri Lankan Army Massacre Tamil Refugees?
On September 9, 1990, the Sri Lankan Army killed at least 184 Tamil refugees, including infants, in the Batticaloa District village of Sathurukondan.
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A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.
Visit the BlogHistory in 60 Seconds
Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.
How Did CNJ Train 3314 Plunge into Newark Bay?
A CNJ commuter train ran through signals and derailed off an open lift bridge in Newark...
Watch
How Did Two Merging Black Holes Reveal Gravitational...
LIGO detected the first direct gravitational waves from merging black holes, confirming...
Watch
What Happened at the Lattimer Massacre in 1897?
On September 10, 1897 a Luzerne County sheriff's posse shot dead at least 19 unarmed im...
Watch
Why Did the 2023 Al Haouz Earthquake Occur?
On 8 September 2023 a magnitude‑6.9 quake struck Al Haouz Province, killing nearly 3,00...
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How Did the FPMR Ambush Pinochet’s Motorcade?
Cuesta de Las Achupallas is a bottleneck road along mountainous terrain between Santiag...
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How did Nino Farina become the first F1 World Champion?
Nino Farina won the 1950 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, becoming the first Formula One Wo...
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Oppenheimer–Snyder model published — September 1, 1939
J. Robert Oppenheimer and Hartland Snyder publish a model showing how massive stars col...
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Strom Thurmond begins filibuster of Civil Rights Act...
Senator Strom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 to block the Civil Rig...
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Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.
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Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.
September
On This Day, September 16
- 2022: During the Let Yet Kone massacre, the Burmese military kills 13 villagers, including eight children, after attacking a school in Sagaing Region, Myanmar.
- 2022: The death of Mahsa Amini occurred in Tehran, Iran, sparking worldwide protests.
- 2021: A 6.0 Mw earthquake strikes Lu County, Sichuan, China, killing three and injuring more than 88.
- 2021: Inspiration4, the first private orbital crewed spaceflight, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
- 2015: A 8.3 Mw earthquake strikes the Chilean city of Illapel, killing 15 people, injuring at least 34, leaving at least six missing, and causing extensive damage. One person also dies in Argentina.
thisDay.info is a free historical events calendar where you can explore what happened on any date in history. It covers wars, discoveries, natural disasters, famous birthdays and deaths, and landmark moments in world history, all sourced from Wikipedia.
Every day a new article is published covering one significant historical event from that calendar date. Each article includes background context, key figures, a Did You Know section, a Quick Facts block, and an analysis of the lasting impact on the world. A short quiz at the end lets you test what you have learned.
All historical events, birthdays, and deaths are sourced from Wikipedia's On This Day archives. Wikipedia is one of the most thorough and regularly updated references for world history, covering events from ancient civilizations right through to the present day on every continent.
Yes. Use the calendar on this page to go to any date of the year. Clicking a date opens a page listing everything notable that happened on that day in history, from ancient times right through to recent decades.
History in 60 Seconds is a short video series published on YouTube Shorts. Each video tells the story of one historical event using archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day so you can keep up with this day in history wherever you are.
A new article and a new video are published every single day. The events calendar is always current with today's On This Day data from Wikipedia. Famous birthdays and notable deaths for the current date load every time you visit the site.
Yes, thisDay.info is completely free. There is no account, no subscription, and no paywall. Every article, video, event listing, and the full historical calendar are open to everyone and will stay that way.
Yes. Every date page includes a list of notable people born or who died on that day, with links to their Wikipedia biographies. You can also browse person pages on thisDay.info to read about the historical figures who appear in our daily articles.
thisDay.info covers all major topics in world history including wars and conflicts, political revolutions, scientific discoveries, space exploration, natural disasters, cultural milestones, and sporting achievements. Events range from ancient history through to the 21st century, covering every part of the world.
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