On this day in 845, Paris is sacked by Viking raiders.
On this day in 1854, France and England declare war on Russia, starting the Crimean War.
On this day in 1910, inventor Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, nicknamed “Le Canard”.
On this day in 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, Francisco Franco captures the capital city of Madrid en route to his overthrow of the democratic Spanish republic.
On this day in 1871, the first international rugby match is held, Scotland defeats England.
On this day in 1942, Nazi Germany and Vichy France begin the deportation of 65 000 Jews from Drancy camp to German extermination camps.
On this day in 1981, the Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which over 12 million Poles walk off their jobs.
On this day in 2020, North Macedonia joins NATO.
On this day in 1927, the first Mille Miglia, the legendary car race across Italy, was held.
On this day in 1942, the first “Eichmann transports” to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps begin.
On this day in 1995, the Schengen Agreement enters into force, abolishing regular border checks between participating member states in Europe.
On this day in 2000, ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin is elected president of Russia for the first time.
On this day in 421, the city of Venice is founded.
On this day in 1306, Robert the Bruce is crowned King of Scotland at Scone.
On this day in 1957, six countries sign the Treaties of Rome to establish the European Economic Community, a foundational step towards European integration and the creation of the European Union.
On this day in 1988, the Candle Demonstration in Czechoslovakia is the first step towards the Velvet Revolution.
On this day in 1882, Robert Koch, who is considered the father of modern bacteriology, announces the discovery of the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis.
On this day in 1896, Aleksander Popov achieves the world’s first radio transmission by sending the words “Heinrich Hertz” in morse code from one building to another.
On this day in 2016, Serbian politician Radovan Karadžić is found guilty of war crimes, including genocide.
On this day in 1888, the Football League, featuring teams from England and Wales, first meets and becomes the world’s first football league.
On this day in 1933, the Enabling Act grants Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers in Germany.
On this day in 2001, the Russian space station Mir is disposed of in a controlled crash into the sea.
On this day in 2003, in a referendum, 89.61% of voters in Slovenia approve of the country joining the EU.
On this day in 1906, the first England vs France Rugby Union match is played in Paris.
On this day in 1933, seven weeks after Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, concentration camp Dachau opens to send Communists, Social Democrats, and other dissidents
On this day in 1963, The Beatles release their debut album Please Please Me.
On this day in 1804, the Code Napoléon, France’s groundbreaking law reform, is adopted as French civil law.
On this day in 1871, Otto von Bismarck is appointed as the first Chancellor of the German Empire, the newly unified Germany.
On this day in 1919, the Hungarian Soviet Republic is established, the first Communist government formed in Europe after the October Revolution in Russia.
On this day in 1602, the Dutch East India Company is established.
On this day in 1916, Albert Einstein submits a paper establishing his general theory of relativity to the journal Annalen der Physik.
On this day in 1964, the precursor of the European Space Agency, the European Space Research Organisation, is established.
On this day in 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland erupts.
On this day in 1882, the first stone is laid for the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí.
On this day in 1895, brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière, history’s earliest filmmakers, record their first film, the 50 seconds long ‘Sortie des Usines Lumière à Lyon’.
On this day in 1911, the first International Women’s Day is marked by over a million people in Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
MediaFaro Magazine