John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States. At age 43, he became the youngest elected president and the first Roman Catholic to hold the office. His inaugural address is remembered for the famous line, 'Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,' which inspired a generation toward public service, idealism, and a renewed sense of civic duty during a time of Cold War tension.

After spending 27 years behind bars, mostly on Robben Island, anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was finally released from Victor Verster Prison in South Africa. His release marked a pivotal moment in the dismantling of apartheid, symbolizing hope for racial reconciliation and democracy. Mandela would go on to lead negotiations to end apartheid and later become South Africa’s first Black president in 1994.

During World War II, U.S. Marines launched a major amphibious assault on Iwo Jima, a heavily fortified Japanese island critical for its airfields and strategic location near Japan. The battle, lasting over a month, was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific Theater, with fierce fighting and high casualties on both sides. It is most famously remembered for the iconic photograph of Marines raising the American flag atop Mount Suribachi.

In Chicago during Prohibition, seven members and associates of the North Side Gang, led by George 'Bugs' Moran, were gunned down in a garage by men associated with rival mob boss Al Capone. Disguised as police officers, the attackers lined up the victims against a wall before shooting them with Thompson submachine guns. The massacre shocked the nation, highlighting the brutality of organized crime and fueling the public’s demand for stronger law enforcement against gang violence.

On the Ides of March, Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators led by Brutus, Cassius, and others, who feared his growing power threatened the Republic. Caesar was stabbed 23 times inside the Theatre of Pompey. His death triggered a series of civil wars that ultimately ended the Roman Republic and paved the way for the rise of the Roman Empire under his adopted heir, Octavian (later Augustus).

The World Health Organization officially declared the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic. This announcement acknowledged the rapid worldwide spread of the virus, which had already infected over 100,000 people across multiple continents. The declaration led to drastic public health measures, lockdowns, and economic disruptions on a global scale, marking the beginning of one of the most significant health crises in modern history.

During a peaceful march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama, civil rights activists were brutally attacked by state troopers and local law enforcement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The violence, broadcast on national television, shocked Americans and drew widespread support for the Civil Rights Movement. The events of 'Bloody Sunday' directly influenced the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark piece of U.S. civil rights legislation.

President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was shot by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the following morning, becoming the first U.S. president to be assassinated. His death came just days after the Civil War effectively ended, plunging the nation into mourning and shaping the course of Reconstruction.

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history by becoming the first human to travel into space and orbit the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. His successful 108-minute flight marked a major milestone in the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, boosting Soviet prestige and accelerating global interest in space exploration.

The British luxury liner RMS Titanic, the largest and most advanced passenger ship of its time, struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. The ship sank in the early hours of April 15, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers and crew on board. The disaster exposed serious flaws in maritime safety practices and led to major reforms, including requirements for sufficient lifeboats and the establishment of the International Ice Patrol.

The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, New Jersey. The disaster killed 36 people and was famously captured on film and radio, including Herbert Morrison’s anguished broadcast. The tragedy ended the era of passenger airships and cemented airplanes as the future of long-distance travel.

Nazi Germany formally surrendered to the Allied powers, marking the end of World War II in Europe. Celebrations erupted across Europe and the United States as millions rejoiced at the downfall of Hitler’s regime. While the war in the Pacific continued until Japan’s surrender in September, VE Day remains one of the most significant milestones in modern history.

David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel as the British mandate in Palestine ended. Within hours, the new nation was recognized by the United States and the Soviet Union. The declaration immediately triggered the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, as neighboring Arab states invaded, beginning decades of conflict in the region.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, declaring that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson, the decision became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement and a critical step toward ending legalized segregation in the United States.

On D-Day, Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history, landing on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 156,000 American, British, Canadian, and other Allied troops stormed five heavily fortified beaches under intense German fire. The invasion marked the turning point in World War II in Europe, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

NASA’s Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module. Armstrong’s famous words, 'That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,' were broadcast to millions around the globe. The landing fulfilled President Kennedy’s 1961 goal, showcased U.S. technological achievement during the Cold War, and marked a defining milestone in human exploration.

Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, resulting in the drowning death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign worker. Kennedy did not immediately report the accident, leading to widespread criticism and scandal. The incident damaged his reputation, derailed his presidential ambitions, and remains one of the most controversial episodes in modern American political history.

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opened on a farm in Bethel, New York, drawing an audience of more than 400,000 people. Featuring performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, and many other legendary artists, the festival became a symbol of the 1960s counterculture movement, promoting peace, love, and music during a time of social upheaval and the Vietnam War.

The United States dropped the first atomic bomb, nicknamed 'Little Boy,' on the Japanese city of Hiroshima near the end of World War II. The explosion killed over 100,000 people instantly and in the following months due to radiation sickness and injuries. The bombing, followed by another on Nagasaki three days later, forced Japan’s surrender and ended the war, but also introduced the world to the devastating power of nuclear weapons.

Amid the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon resigned from office, becoming the first U.S. president to do so. Facing almost certain impeachment and removal, Nixon announced his resignation in a televised address. Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as president, later granting Nixon a controversial pardon. The event marked a crisis of trust in American politics and reshaped public attitudes toward presidential accountability.

On September 11, 2001, members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes in the United States. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing both towers to collapse. A third struck the Pentagon, and the fourth, United Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake control. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history. The attacks reshaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy, leading to the War on Terror and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A U.S. U-2 spy plane flying over Cuba photographed Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction, sparking the Cuban Missile Crisis. Over the next 13 days, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war as the United States demanded the removal of the missiles and imposed a naval blockade of Cuba. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and the secret removal of American missiles from Turkey. It remains the closest the world has come to full-scale nuclear conflict.

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing under the Spanish crown, made landfall in the Bahamas during his first voyage across the Atlantic. His arrival marked the first lasting contact between Europe and the Americas, initiating centuries of exploration, colonization, and cultural exchange known as the Columbian Exchange. While celebrated for opening the New World to Europe, Columbus’s voyages also led to the displacement, conquest, and suffering of Indigenous peoples across the Americas.

After weeks of mounting protests and political pressure in East Germany, the government announced new travel freedoms, prompting thousands of East Berliners to flood checkpoints and cross freely into West Berlin. Jubilant crowds began dismantling the Berlin Wall, a powerful symbol of the Cold War that had divided the city since 1961. Its fall paved the way for German reunification and symbolized the collapse of communist regimes across Eastern Europe.

Japanese forces launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing more than 2,400 Americans, sinking or damaging much of the Pacific Fleet, and destroying aircraft. The attack shocked the nation and led the United States to formally enter World War II the following day. It marked a turning point in global conflict as America shifted from neutrality to full-scale war against Japan and Germany.

In protest of the Tea Act, which allowed Britain’s East India Company to sell tea at reduced rates while still taxing the colonies, American patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. The act of defiance escalated tensions with Britain, leading to harsh retaliatory laws and fueling revolutionary sentiment that culminated in the American Revolution.

Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the first successful powered, controlled, and sustained airplane flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville piloted the aircraft for 12 seconds over 120 feet. Their breakthrough revolutionized transportation and laid the foundation for modern aviation, ushering in a new era of global mobility and technological advancement.