Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping. Harry Houdini, born Erik Weisz in 1874 in Budapest,…
4 August 1701
Great Peace of Montreal between New France and First Nations is signed. The Great Peace of Montreal, signed in 1701, was a landmark treaty between…
3 August 1492
Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain. Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator best known for his 1492 transatlantic voyage…
2 August 1776
The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence took place. The signing of the United States Declaration of Independence was a pivotal moment in…
1 August 527
Justinian I becomes the sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Justinian I, also known as Justinian the Great, ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527 to…
31 July 2006
Fidel Castro hands over power to his brother, Raúl. Fidel Castro was a central figure in 20th-century world politics, best known as the revolutionary leader…
30 July 1733
The first Masonic Grand Lodge in the future United States is constituted in Massachusetts. The Masonic Grand Lodge is the central governing body of Freemasonry…
29 July 1148
The Siege of Damascus ends in a decisive crusader defeat and leads to the disintegration of the Second Crusade. The Siege of Damascus in 1148…
28 July 1960
The German Volkswagen Act comes into force. The Volkswagen Act (“Volkswagengesetz”) is a German federal law originally enacted in 1960 to regulate the privatization of…
27 July 1890
Vincent van Gogh shoots himself and dies two days later. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter whose emotional intensity and bold use of…