111 years ago today
Arrests in Istanbul Mark the Start of the Armenian Genocide
On the night of April 24, 1915, Ottoman authorities rounded up and arrested approximately 250 Armenian intellectuals, community leaders, and clergy in Constantinople, deporting most of them to Ankara where the majority were subsequently executed. This coordinated act of decapitation against the Armenian leadership is recognized as the opening blow of the Armenian Genocide, a systematic campaign of mass murder and forced deportation that would claim the lives of an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Armenians over the following years. The deportations spread rapidly from Anatolia as entire communities were marched into the Syrian desert without food or water. Today, April 24 is observed as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in communities around the world. The events of 1915 remain one of the first genocides of the twentieth century and continue to shape Turkish-Armenian relations a century later.
This day, across time
- 1479EventThutmose III Ascends to the Egyptian Throne
- 1533BornWilliam I of Orange
- 1558EventMary Queen of Scots Marries the French Dauphin
- 1704EventFirst Regular Newspaper in British Colonial America Published
- 1731DiedDaniel Defoe
- 1800EventU.S. Library of Congress Established
- 1815BornAnthony Trollope
- 1856BornPhilippe Pétain
- 1877EventRussia Declares War on the Ottoman Empire
- 1891DiedHelmuth von Moltke the Elder
- 1904BornWillem de Kooning
- 1905BornRobert Penn Warren
- 1915FeaturedArrests in Istanbul Mark the Start of the Armenian Genocide
- 1916EventEaster Rising Begins in Dublin
- 1918EventFirst Tank-to-Tank Combat in History
- 1942DiedLucy Maud Montgomery
- 1947DiedWilla Cather
- 1953EventWinston Churchill Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
- 1967EventSoviet Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov Dies in Space
- 1990EventHubble Space Telescope Launched
Alive in 1915
OverlapSame years; not influence
Abraham Heschelturned 8 this year- Adolf Hitlerturned 26 this year
Albert Einsteinturned 36 this year
Carl Gustav Jungturned 40 this year
Deng Xiaopingturned 11 this year
Eleanor Rooseveltturned 31 this year
Emmanuel Levinasturned 9 this year
Ernest Hemingwayturned 16 this year
Franz Kafkaturned 32 this year
Franz Rosenzweigturned 29 this year
20 more figures were alive that year
On This Day in History
10 EventsThutmose III Ascends to the Egyptian Throne
Thutmose III becomes pharaoh of Egypt, though effective power rests with Hatshepsut according to the Low Chronology of the 18th dynasty. He would later become one of Egypt's greatest military pharaohs.
Mary Queen of Scots Marries the French Dauphin
Mary, Queen of Scots, weds François, the Dauphin of France, at Notre-Dame de Paris, briefly uniting the Scottish and French crowns in a grand dynastic alliance. The marriage was short-lived — François died in 1560.
First Regular Newspaper in British Colonial America Published
The Boston News-Letter becomes the first regularly published newspaper in British Colonial America, setting the foundation for a free press in the New World.
U.S. Library of Congress Established
President John Adams signs legislation appropriating $5,000 to purchase books for Congress, formally establishing the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. It would grow into the largest library in the world.
Russia Declares War on the Ottoman Empire
The Russian Empire declares war on the Ottoman Empire, beginning the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. The conflict would lead to significant territorial changes in the Balkans and the near-independence of several Slavic nations.
Easter Rising Begins in Dublin
Irish rebels led by Patrick Pearse and James Connolly launch the Easter Rising, seizing key buildings in Dublin and proclaiming an Irish Republic. Though crushed within a week, the uprising transformed Irish public opinion and set the stage for independence.
First Tank-to-Tank Combat in History
At the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux during World War I, three British Mark IV tanks clash with three German A7Vs, marking the first tank-versus-tank engagement in military history.
Winston Churchill Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II confers a knighthood upon Winston Churchill, who becomes Sir Winston Churchill. The former Prime Minister had already led Britain through its darkest hours in the Second World War.
Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov Dies in Space
Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov becomes the first human to die during a space mission when the parachute of Soyuz 1 fails to deploy on re-entry. His death was a major setback for the Soviet space program.
Hubble Space Telescope Launched
The Space Shuttle Discovery deploys the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit during mission STS-31. Despite an initial flaw in its mirror, Hubble would become the most scientifically productive telescope in history.
Born on This Day
Willem de Kooning
Dutch-American Abstract Expressionist painter
De Kooning was a central figure of the Abstract Expressionist movement and one of the most celebrated American painters of the twentieth century. His "Woman" series of the 1950s generated enormous controversy and critical debate.
Anthony Trollope
English novelist
Trollope was one of the most prolific and well-respected Victorian novelists, best known for his Barsetshire series and Palliser novels. He also worked for the Post Office and is credited with introducing the red pillar box to Britain.
William I of Orange
Founding father of the Netherlands
Known as "William the Silent," he led the Dutch revolt against Spanish Habsburg rule and is considered the founding father of the Netherlands. His assassination in 1584 made him one of the first heads of state to be killed with a handgun.
Robert Penn Warren
American novelist, poet, and literary critic
Warren was the only person to win Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry. His novel "All the King's Men" (1946) is considered a masterpiece of American political fiction.
Philippe Pétain
French general and politician, Marshal of France
Pétain was the hero of the Battle of Verdun in World War I, but his legacy is permanently stained by his role as head of Vichy France during World War II, when he collaborated with Nazi Germany.
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Daniel Defoe
English journalist and novelist
Author of Robinson Crusoe (1719), considered one of the earliest English novels, Defoe died in London after a prolific career as writer, pamphleteer, and spy.
Willa Cather
American novelist
Cather's novels of the American frontier and immigrant experience, including "O Pioneers!" and "My Ántonia," made her one of the most important voices in American literature. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923.
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Canadian author
Author of the beloved "Anne of Green Gables" series, Montgomery's novels about Anne Shirley on Prince Edward Island became classics of children's literature read across the world.
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Prussian-German field marshal
Von Moltke was the brilliant military strategist who led Prussian forces to decisive victories over Denmark, Austria, and France between 1864 and 1871, unifying Germany under Bismarck.
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