Today In History

First Appearance of the Popeye Comic Strip (1929): The Popeye comic strip first appeared in newspapers on January 17, 1929. Created by cartoonist E.C. Segar, Popeye initially appeared in the…

James Cook Crosses the Antarctic Circle (1773): Captain James Cook became the first known person to cross the Antarctic Circle on January 17, 1773. This achievement occurred during Cook's second…

Liberation of Warsaw (1945): On January 17, 1945, Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw, Poland, during World War II. This liberation came after years of occupation and the Warsaw Uprising,…

Assassination of Patrice Lumumba (1961): Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was assassinated on January 17, 1961. His murder, with support from Western governments,…

Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe, Japan (1995): On January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake struck the city of Kobe, Japan, with a magnitude of 7.2. This devastating earthquake caused…

Publication of Don Quixote (1605): "Don Quixote," written by Miguel de Cervantes, was published on January 16, 1605. This seminal work of Western literature is considered one of the first…

Octavian Proclaimed the First Roman Emperor (27 BC): On January 16, 27 BC, Octavian was officially proclaimed the first Roman Emperor, taking the title Augustus. This event marked the end…

Chapultepec Peace Accords (1992): The Chapultepec Peace Accords were signed on January 16, 1992, ending the 12-year civil war in El Salvador between the government and the Farabundo Martí National…

Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila (2001): On January 16, 2001, Congolese President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards. Kabila, who had come to power in 1997 after…

Start of the Persian Gulf War (1991): The Persian Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Storm, commenced on January 16, 1991, following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990.…