238 years ago today
British Fleet Lands at Sydney Cove
On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guided the British First Fleet into Port Jackson and chose Sydney Cove as the site for a permanent settlement — the first European colony on the Australian continent. Eleven ships had sailed from Portsmouth eight months earlier carrying 1,487 people, more than half of them convicts transported from overcrowded British prisons. Phillip raised the Union Jack and declared the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales. The arrival was catastrophic for the Aboriginal peoples who had lived on the continent for over 60,000 years, bringing disease, dispossession, and violence. Today the date is marked as Australia Day, a celebration for many Australians and a day of mourning for Indigenous communities who call it Invasion Day.
Douglas MacArthur
American General
One of the most decorated officers in U.S. military history, MacArthur commanded Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II and oversaw the Allied occupation of Japan. He was dismissed by President Truman during the Korean War for publicly contradicting U.S. policy, igniting one of the most dramatic civil-military crises in American history.
Paul Newman
American Actor & Philanthropist
One of the great actors of Hollywood's golden age, Newman starred in Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Color of Money — for which he won the Academy Award. He was equally celebrated for his philanthropic work; his Newman's Own food brand donated over $500 million to charity.
Ellen DeGeneres
American Comedian & Television Host
A pioneering comedian who became one of the most watched talk show hosts in television history. In 1997 she made television history when her sitcom character came out as gay in a widely watched episode, making her the first openly gay lead on a prime-time American sitcom.
Wayne Gretzky
Canadian Ice Hockey Player
Widely considered the greatest hockey player of all time, "The Great One" scored more goals and assists than any player in NHL history. His 2,857 total points is a record so dominant that his assists alone would still make him the all-time scoring leader over every other player.
Lisbon Earthquake Kills 30,000
A powerful earthquake estimated at magnitude 6.4–7.1 devastates Lisbon, Portugal, collapsing hundreds of buildings and killing approximately 30,000 people. It foreshadows the even more destructive 1755 Lisbon earthquake.
Council of Trent Issues Final Decrees
The Council of Trent concludes its work, issuing decrees that formally define Catholic doctrine and draw a sharp theological boundary against Protestantism. The Council's reforms shape Catholicism for the next four centuries.
Cascadia Megaquake Sends Tsunami to Japan
A massive 8.7–9.2 magnitude earthquake ruptures the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific Northwest coast of North America, generating a tsunami that travels across the Pacific and strikes the Japanese coast — the first precisely dated Cascadia event, known from Japanese records.
British First Fleet Arrives at Sydney Cove
Arthur Phillip anchors the British First Fleet at Sydney Cove, establishing the first permanent European settlement in Australia on land belonging to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.
Michigan Becomes the 26th U.S. State
Michigan is admitted to the Union as the 26th state after a brief border dispute with Ohio known as the Toledo War. The young state would eventually become the heart of American automobile manufacturing.
World's Largest Diamond Discovered
The Cullinan Diamond — at 3,106.75 carats the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found — is unearthed at the Premier Mine near Pretoria, South Africa. It is later cut into several stones, the largest of which are set in the British Crown Jewels.
John Logie Baird Demonstrates Television
Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gives the world's first public demonstration of a working television system before members of the Royal Institution in London, transmitting a flickering live image of a ventriloquist's dummy named Stooky Bill.
Gujarat Earthquake Kills Thousands
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes the Bhuj district of Gujarat, India, on Republic Day morning, killing between 13,000 and 20,000 people, injuring 166,000 more, and leaving over a million homeless.
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Start a conversation →Edward Jenner
English Physician & Vaccine Pioneer
Jenner developed the world's first vaccine by demonstrating in 1796 that cowpox inoculation could protect against smallpox. His discovery launched the science of immunology and ultimately led to the eradication of smallpox — the only human infectious disease to have been completely wiped out.
Nelson Rockefeller
41st Vice President of the United States
Scion of America's most famous oil dynasty, Rockefeller served as Governor of New York for 15 years and as Gerald Ford's Vice President. One of the wealthiest men in American history, he shaped New York's infrastructure and cultural institutions. He died of a heart attack at age 70.
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