136 years ago today
Wounded Knee Massacre
On December 29, 1890, soldiers of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment surrounded a camp of Miniconjou Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. An altercation during the disarmament of the Lakota triggered a massacre in which approximately 250–300 men, women, and children were killed. The massacre effectively ended the era of the Indian Wars on the Great Plains and became a defining symbol of the destruction of Native American culture and sovereignty. It remains one of the most controversial events in American history, and in 1990 Congress formally apologized for the killings.
This day, across time
- 1170EventThomas Becket Assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral
- 1778EventBritish Forces Capture Savannah, Georgia
- 1808BornAndrew Johnson
- 1809BornWilliam Ewart Gladstone
- 1825DiedJacques-Louis David
- 1835EventTreaty of New Echota Signed, Relocating Cherokee Nation
- 1845EventTexas Admitted as the 28th U.S. State
- 1860EventHMS Warrior Launched — First Iron-Hulled Armoured Warship
- 1876BornPablo Casals
- 1890FeaturedWounded Knee Massacre
- 1911EventMongolia Declares Independence from Qing Dynasty
- 1926DiedRainer Maria Rilke
- 1936BornMary Tyler Moore
- 1972BornJude Law
- 1989EventVáclav Havel Elected President of Czechoslovakia
- 1996EventGuatemala Signs Peace Accord Ending 36-Year Civil War
Alive in 1890
OverlapSame years; not influence
Vincent van Goghdied this year- Adolf Hitlerturned 1 this year
Albert Einsteinturned 11 this year
Carl Gustav Jungturned 15 this year
Eleanor Rooseveltturned 6 this year
Franz Kafkaturned 7 this year
Franz Rosenzweigturned 4 this year
Friedrich Nietzscheturned 46 this year
Henry Fordturned 27 this year
Joseph Stalinturned 12 this year
16 more figures were alive that year
On This Day in History
8 EventsThomas Becket Assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered inside Canterbury Cathedral by four knights who believed they were acting on the wishes of King Henry II. The assassination caused a crisis of conscience across Christendom and led to Becket's canonisation just three years later.
British Forces Capture Savannah, Georgia
British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell captured Savannah, Georgia, opening a new southern front in the American Revolutionary War. The fall of Savannah began a period of British military dominance in the South.
Treaty of New Echota Signed, Relocating Cherokee Nation
A small faction of Cherokee leaders signed the Treaty of New Echota, ceding all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi River to the United States. The majority of the Cherokee Nation repudiated the treaty, but it was used to justify their forced removal, known as the Trail of Tears.
Texas Admitted as the 28th U.S. State
The Republic of Texas was formally annexed and admitted to the United States as the 28th state. The annexation, long sought by Texan settlers, soon triggered the Mexican-American War as Mexico refused to recognise the Rio Grande as the international border.
HMS Warrior Launched — First Iron-Hulled Armoured Warship
HMS Warrior was launched as the world's first ocean-going iron-hulled armoured warship, rendering every existing wooden battleship obsolete overnight. She was the largest, fastest, and most powerfully armed warship afloat at the time.
Mongolia Declares Independence from Qing Dynasty
Mongolia declared independence from the Qing dynasty as the empire collapsed under the weight of revolution, establishing the Bogd Khanate. Full independence was not internationally recognised until the 20th century.
Václav Havel Elected President of Czechoslovakia
Playwright and dissident Václav Havel was elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia following the Velvet Revolution. His election was a landmark moment in the peaceful transformation of Central Europe after four decades of Soviet domination.
Guatemala Signs Peace Accord Ending 36-Year Civil War
The Guatemalan government and the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity signed a peace agreement in Guatemala City, ending a 36-year civil war that had killed an estimated 200,000 people, the vast majority of them indigenous Maya civilians.
Born on This Day
Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States
Andrew Johnson succeeded Abraham Lincoln following his assassination in 1865. His lenient approach to Reconstruction brought him into fierce conflict with Congress and led to his impeachment in 1868, though he was acquitted by a single vote in the Senate.
William Ewart Gladstone
British Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times between 1868 and 1894. Known as the "Grand Old Man" of British politics, he championed Irish Home Rule, electoral reform, and the expansion of public education.
Pablo Casals
Cellist and Conductor
Pablo Casals is widely regarded as the greatest cellist of the 20th century. He championed the unaccompanied cello suites of J. S. Bach and became an outspoken symbol of opposition to Franco's dictatorship in Spain.
Mary Tyler Moore
Actress and Activist
Mary Tyler Moore became a beloved television icon through The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the latter breaking ground with its depiction of a single, independent working woman. She won seven Emmy Awards over her career.
Jude Law
English Actor
Jude Law rose to international fame through films including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, and the Sherlock Holmes franchise. He received Academy Award nominations for his roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain.
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Thomas Becket
Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by knights loyal to King Henry II after a dispute over the rights of the Church versus the Crown. He was canonised as a saint in 1173 and Canterbury became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in medieval Europe.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Austrian Poet
Rainer Maria Rilke is considered one of the greatest German-language poets of the 20th century. His major works include the Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus, exploring themes of beauty, death, and transformation.
Jacques-Louis David
French Painter
Jacques-Louis David was the foremost painter of the Neoclassical style, creating iconic works such as The Death of Marat and Napoleon Crossing the Alps. He was the official artist of the French Revolution and Napoleon's court.
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