Category: This day in History

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the region of Bessarabia declared its independence and voted to unite with Romania. The Soviet Union never recognized Romania’s right to the province and, in 1940, demanded that it cede Bessarabia. When Romania complied, the USSR set up the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and incorporated the northern region into the Ukrainian SSR. Bessarabia remained divided after Ukraine and Moldavia declared independence in 1991. Where did the region get its name? Discuss

In 1976, a plane en route from Israel to France was hijacked by members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and flown to Entebbe, Uganda. The hijackers released 258 non-Israeli passengers and held the rest, demanding that Israel release 53 imprisoned PLO members. In response, Israel transported more than 100 commandos to Uganda. In what is now known as the Entebbe raid, seven hijackers, one soldier, and three hostages were killed and how many hostages were rescued? Discuss

After multiple expeditions in the New World, Pizarro set sail for Peru in 1531 with 180 men. His men soon slaughtered the unarmed emissaries of the Inca emperor, Atahuallpa, and took him hostage. After accepting a rich ransom for Atahuallpa’s release, Pizarro had him garroted and spent the rest of his life consolidating Spain’s hold on the Inca empire in Peru. In 1535, he founded Lima, where he was killed by fellow Spaniards he had betrayed. What became of Pizarro’s remains? Discuss

After WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel, with Soviet forces occupying the north and US forces occupying the south. Negotiations to reunify the two zones failed, and in 1950 the North invaded the South. US President Harry Truman ordered troops to assist South Korea, and the UN backed the mission. As UN troops advanced across North Korea, the People’s Republic of China intervened, pushing them back to the original boundary at the 38th parallel. How many people were killed in the war? Discuss

Germany was the site of one of the first outbreaks of dancing mania, a phenomenon seen primarily in mainland Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries. During such outbreaks, groups of up to thousands of people would dance uncontrollably, screaming, shouting, and claiming to have visions until they collapsed from exhaustion. Initially considered a curse sent by a saint, usually St. John the Baptist, it was called “St. John’s Dance.” To what do researchers now attribute the strange behavior? Discuss

The Glassboro Summit Conference was a meeting between US President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin that took place at Hollybush mansion at Glassboro State College in New Jersey. Although the two leaders failed to reach agreement on anything important, the generally friendly atmosphere of the summit became known as the “Spirit of Glassboro” and is believed to have somewhat improved Soviet-US relations. What two wars were major subjects of discussion at the conference? Discuss

The HMS Victoria was a Royal Navy battleship that collided with another Royal Navy battleship, the HMS Camperdown, near Tripoli, Lebanon, during maneuvers. The Victoria capsized and quickly sank, killing 358 crew members, including the commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon. In 2004, after a decade-long search, a Lebanese diver located the wreckage in 492 ft (150 m) of water. What is unusual about the orientation of the wreck? Discuss

Visited by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, Guam was formally claimed by Spain in 1565 and remained under Spanish control until 1898, when it was taken by the US in the Spanish-American War. Because the Spanish garrison on the island had no knowledge of the war, the US sent a single Navy cruiser, the USS Charleston, and was able to capture Guam without a fight. At the end of the war, Guam was officially ceded to the US under the Treaty of Paris. How many Spanish soldiers were captured on Guam? Discuss

In the first days of the French Revolution, the deputies of the Third Estate were locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles. Believing that their newly formed National Assembly was to be disbanded, they met at a nearby tennis court and took an oath not separate until a constitution was established for France. The oath was an assertion that power came from the people not the monarch, and their solidarity forced King Louis XVI to concede. Who was the only deputy not to sign the oath? Discuss

Father’s Day is a day set apart in many countries for honoring fathers. In the US, UK, and Canada, it is observed on the third Sunday in June. The idea for a father’s day originated when Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, heard a sermon on Mother’s Day in 1909 and was inspired to create a date to honor fathers like her own, a Civil War veteran. Through her efforts, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane in 1910. When was the holiday made official in the US? Discuss