Morse demonstrated the telegraph in 1838, while the last telegraph was sent in 2006. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech in 1941 influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other events include Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne of Cleves, the first round-the-world flight, and Mother Teresa’s arrival in Calcutta.
Samuel Morse gave the first successful demonstration of the telegraph. (1838) Morse’s invention revolutionized long distance communication and was the first step towards an affordable means of global communication. The last telegraph was sent by Western Union in 2006.
The US Congress certified George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 election. (2001) The election had been plagued by recounts and “hanging chad” speeches, for several months before Gore finally conceded the election.
Franklin Roosevelt gave his Four Freedoms speech. (1941) Roosevelt insisted that all people should have freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship God in his own way, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Although the speech was originally intended to push Americans toward involvement in World War II, the four freedoms played an important role in the subsequent creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The first round-the-world flight in a commercial airplane has ended. (1942) Pan Am Pacific Clipper flew over 30,000 miles (over 48,000 km) in four days. He had to complete the voyage in secret, since the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened while they were en route, and the captain wasn’t sure how friendly American airspace would be.
Henry VIII of England married Anne of Cleves. (1540) Anne was Henry’s fourth wife and she was chosen for political reasons, as Henry needed an ally in Germany, Anne’s homeland. Henry had seen pictures of Anne before she came to England, but he was reportedly bitterly disappointed in the real Anne, whom she found fat and ugly. The marriage lasted only a few months before it was annulled and Henry remarried.
The first Catholic Mass was celebrated in the New World. (1494) Just two years after Columbus discovered the Americas, the first mass was celebrated in La Isabela, Hispaniola (modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Mass was celebrated in a small temporary church for Columbus and his men by Fray Bernal Buil.
The United Kingdom has recognized the People’s Republic of China. (1950) Britain was one of the first countries to recognize the government of Mao Zedong, who had come to power the year before. America sided with Chiang Kai Shek and the Republic of China (Taiwan) and refused to recognize the People’s Republic of China for nearly 30 years afterward.
Joan of Arc is believed to have been born. (1412) Joan became a national icon when she led France to victory in several battles against the English in the Hundred Years War. Although she was later burned at the stake for heresy by her political rivals, she Joan became one of her most beloved French saints.
Olympic skater candidate Nancy Kerrigan was attacked. (1994) Kerrigan was caned several days before the Olympic trials. When it emerged that Kerrigan’s rival Tonya Harding had staged the attack, a media frenzy ensued, though both women went on to compete in the Olympics.
Mother Teresa has arrived in Calcutta. (1929) The famous nun worked in India until her death in 1997. She has become a symbol of the power of love and compassion against all odds.
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