Patty Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974, leading to her arrest for robbery. The Yalta conference began in 1945, setting the stage for the Cold War. The USO was founded in 1941, entertaining soldiers and supporting their families. Facebook was founded in 2004, revolutionizing social media. The Song Dynasty began in China in 960, known for its cultural achievements. The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest copies of the Bible, was discovered in 1859. The Philippine-American War began in 1899, leading to independence after WWII. The Confederate States of America were born in 1861, leading to the Civil War. George Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College in 1789 and 1792. Radium became the first synthetically created radioactive element in 1936.
Newspaper heiress Patty Hearst has been kidnapped. (1974) Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a leftist militant group operating in America in the late 1970s. The nation was shocked when Hearst was seen helping the SLA commit crimes later, and she was eventually arrested for robbery. Psychologists consider it a classic case of Stockholm syndrome.
The Yalta conference has begun. (1945) Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin started conference in Yalta on this day to discuss distribution of power after WWII. The conference did not end well and set the stage for the tense years of the Cold War.
United Service Organizations (USO) is founded. (1941) While the USO is best known for providing entertainment to American soldiers overseas, it also provides support to soldiers’ families. Some of the most famous USO entertainers included Bob Hope, John Wayne and Jayne Mansfield.
Facebook was founded. (2004) Mark Zuckerberg revolutionized social media when he founded Facebook, a social networking tool, on this day. Within five years of its founding, Facebook had more than 500 million users.
The Song Dynasty was founded in China. (960) Emperor Taizu was crowned on this day, starting the mighty Song Dynasty, which would last for over three centuries. The song is regarded as a highlight of Chinese culture, including in the areas of painting, calligraphy, ceramics and historical research.
Discovered the Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest copies of the Bible. (1859) The manuscript was discovered in the Sinai by a German biblical scholar named Constantin von Tischendorf, who was under the patronage of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The Codex Sinaiticus has been used extensively in Biblical translation and also contains some extremely rare book fragments.
The Philippine-American War began. (1899) Spain had ceded the Philippines to America a year earlier for US $20 million (USD) at the end of the Spanish-American War, but the Philippines did not recognize American authority. Although the war officially ended that same year, the Philippine independence struggle continued unofficially until independence was granted after World War II.
The Confederate States of America are born. (1861) Representatives from South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas met to form the CSA and elected Jefferson Davis as their president. When fighting broke out at Fort Sumter, South Carolina later that year, four more states seceded and the American Civil War began.
George Washington was officially elected by the Electoral College. (1789, 1792) Washington won the popular vote by a clear majority, so it was no surprise when the Electoral College unanimously elected him both times. He was the first and only president to be unanimously elected.
Radium became the first synthetically created radioactive element. (1936) Dr. John Jacob Livingood was experimenting with elements when he noticed that one of his creations exhibited characteristics of radium. The element had only been isolated 20 years earlier by Marie and Pierre Curie.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
