Category: This day in History

The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce was established in 1838. Since then, both the name of the newspaper and the name of the city have changed. In 1861, 134 years before Bombay was renamed Mumbai, the paper was renamed The Times of India. Today, The Times of India, an English-language daily, has the largest circulation of any English-language newspaper in the world. What is its estimated readership in India? Discuss

The Balfour Declaration was a British government statement promising the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine that would not disturb non-Jews already living there. The British anticipated gaining a mandate over Palestine after WWI and hoped to win over Jewish public opinion for the Allies. They also hoped that pro-British settlers would help protect the approaches to the Suez Canal, a vital link to Britain’s South Asian possessions. Who actually wrote the declaration? Discuss

One of the deadliest train crashes in US history took place during a strike of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, some of whose members operated elevated trains for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). To keep service running, the BRT brought in inexperienced motormen to replace the striking workers. That evening, a five-car train derailed in the Malbone Street tunnel after negotiating a curve too quickly, killing 93. How many hours of training had the train’s operator received? Discuss

According to the traditional account, Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg, Germany—an event now seen as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Written in response to the selling of indulgences to pay for the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the theses represented an implicit criticism of papal policy and aroused much controversy. What formal title did Luther give the Ninety-Five Theses? Discuss

“Tsar Bomba” was the nickname of a hydrogen bomb detonated by the Soviet Union in 1961 that remains the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. The bomb had a yield of 50 megatons, a force equivalent to 1,400 times the combined power of the two nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II—or approximately 1.4 percent of the power output of the Sun. The resulting seismic shock was measurable even on its third passage around the Earth. Where was Tsar Bomba detonated? Discuss

In the 1920s, the US stock market expanded rapidly and reached a peak in August 1929, when prices began to decline while speculation increased. On October 24, “Black Thursday,” a record 12,894,650 shares were traded. Banks and investment companies bought large blocks of stock to stem the panic, but on October 29, “Black Tuesday,” 16 million shares were traded and prices collapsed. Why do some scholars contend that the stock market crash was not the cause of the Great Depression? Discuss

After World War II, Mattei was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency, a Fascist state enterprise. Instead, Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI), or National Fuel Trust. Under his direction, ENI developed large deposits of natural gas in Italy and negotiated important oil concessions in the Middle East. Mattei became a powerful figure in Italy before he died in a plane crash in 1962. What conspiracy theories exist about his death? Discuss

The Erie Canal is a New York waterway that runs between Albany and Buffalo, linking the Hudson River with Lake Erie. It was born out of the need for an all-American water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast that became evident after the American Revolution. The canal contributed greatly to the development of New York City and the Midwest, allowing for the transport of people and supplies. Commercial traffic on the canal has since dwindled, and it is now used mainly for what purpose? Discuss

George III ascended the throne at the age of 22, during the Seven Years’ War. The war had put England in financial distress, and George supported raising funds through taxation of the American colonies. This policy proved disastrous for him, as it provoked the American Revolution and led him to be blamed in part for losing the colonies. Later in life, George’s mental health declined, and his son acted as regent after 1811. It has been suggested that he suffered from what hereditary disease? Discuss

Celebrated English Admiral Cloudesley Shovell was returning from an abortive attack on Toulon, France, in 1707 when his ship and several others struck rocks off the Scilly Islands, southwest of England. In one of the greatest maritime disasters in British history, Shovell is believed to have drowned along with as many as 2,000 sailors. According to one of the many legends about the disaster, Shovell reached the shore alive, only to be murdered by a woman who stole what priceless object from him? Discuss