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Balto led the Great Race of Mercy in 1925, ending an epidemic of diphtheria in Nome. The Battle of Stalingrad ended in 1943, a key victory for the USSR. South Africa lifted the ban on an anti-apartheid group and promised to free Nelson Mandela in 1990. Other events include the establishment of a fur trading colony in California in 1812, the first celebration of Groundhog Day in 1887, the first lie detector test in 1935, the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the opening of Grand Central Terminal in 1913, the arrival of the first ship of Chinese immigrants in California in 1848, and the birth and publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses in 1882 and 1922.
The dog Balto led the “Great Race of Mercy”. (1925) The residents of Nome were dealing with an epidemic of diphtheria before a team of mushers and dogs managed to bring much-needed antitoxin to the city on this day. The race inspired the modern Iditarod.
The Battle of Stalingrad ended. (1943) This was a key victory for the USSR and the allied forces in general. It was also one of the bloodiest battles of the war, lasting for nearly six months.
South Africa’s president has lifted the ban on a major anti-apartheid group. (1990) This was an important political step towards the eradication of apartheid. In the same move, the president promised to free Nelson Mandela, who had been imprisoned for nearly 30 years.
Russia has established a fur trading colony in California. (1812) The colony, which was located on the north shore of present-day San Francisco, was known as Fort Ross. The colony was largely a failure and was later purchased by John Sutter, coincidentally the same man who discovered gold in the Sacramento Valley, starting the gold rush.
Groundhog Day was celebrated for the first time. (1887) Originally celebrated at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, America, versions of Groundhog Day had been around for centuries earlier. The tradition has its origins in early Christian rituals, where candles were used to predict the length of winter. This was expanded upon in Germany, where people started using a hedgehog to predict the weather, before it moved to America and became a holiday.
The lie detector was tested for the first time. (1935) The first polygraph was invented by detective Leonarde Keeler, who tested it on two prisoners. The two men were later convicted of assault based on polygraph results, setting a legal precedent for using lie detector results as testimony.
The Mexican-American War ended. (1848) On this day, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the war in favor of the United States. As part of the settlements, the United States gained 525,000 square miles (1,359,743 square km) of land, which would later become Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Grand Central Terminal opened in New York City. (1913) Often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, the terminal is the largest train passenger terminal in the world and is an iconic part of New York history.
The first ship of Chinese immigrants has arrived in California. (1848) Chinese immigrants would become a major force in the population of the American West and would remain one of the largest demographic groups in the area.
James Joyce is born and publishes his novel “Ulysses”. (1882, 1922) Irish author Joyce was most famous for Ulysses, which became popular in part because it was banned in the United States for so long.
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