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…
8 January 1912
The African National Congress is founded, under the name South African Native National Congress (SANNC) The African National Congress (ANC) was founded in 1912 as…
7 January 1904
The distress signal “CQD” is established only to be replaced two years later by “SOS”. The distress signal CQD is one of the earliest internationally…