18 January 1788

The first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from Great Britain to Australia arrive at Botany Bay. The First Fleet refers to the…

17 January 1852

The United Kingdom signs the Sand River Convention with the South African Republic. The Sand River Convention was signed on 17 January 1852 and marked…

16 January 1909

Ernest Shackleton’s expedition finds the magnetic South Pole. Ernest Shackleton’s most famous Antarctic venture, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), was not about reaching the South…

15 January 1759

The British Museum opens to the public. The British Museum was founded in 1753, making it one of the oldest public museums in the world….

14 January 1814

Treaty of Kiel: Frederick VI of Denmark cedes the Kingdom of Norway to Charles XIII of Sweden in return for Pomerania. The Treaty of Kiel,…

13 January 1888

The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C. The National Geographic Society was founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by a small group of…

12 January 1866

The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London. The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) is one of the world’s oldest and most respected professional institutions dedicated…

11 January 1908

Grand Canyon National Monument is created. The history of the Grand Canyon National Monument is closely tied to the growing conservation movement in the United…

10 January 1776

American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense. Thomas Paine was an English-born political thinker and writer whose ideas played a crucial role in…

9 January 1431

The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen. The trial of Joan of Arc in 1431 was less a search for truth than a…