The Victoria, the only surviving ship from Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, returned to Spain, completing the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Magellan himself had died in the Philippines, but the expedition’s return proved the feasibility of global sea travel, vastly expanding European knowledge of the world and changing global trade routes forever.
1522 – Magellan's Expedition Completes Circumnavigation
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers, primarily Pilgrims seeking religious freedom. The ship faced treacherous conditions at sea but eventually arrived in New England. The Pilgrims established the Plymouth Colony, which became one of the first successful English settlements in North America and a foundational moment in U.S. history.
1620 – Mayflower Departs for America
After four days of raging destruction, the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished on September 6. The fire destroyed much of medieval London, including 13,000 homes and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Though it left thousands homeless, the fire also led to the rebuilding and modernization of the city in the years that followed.
1666 – Great Fire of London Extinguished
During the American Civil War, Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, occupied Paducah, Kentucky, without facing any significant resistance. This occupation was strategically important for securing control over the mouth of the Tennessee River and protecting Union supply lines in the western theater of the war.
1861 – Union Forces Occupy Paducah, Kentucky
President William McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Although McKinley initially appeared to recover, he succumbed to his wounds eight days later, making Vice President Theodore Roosevelt the 26th president of the United States. The assassination shocked the nation.
