245 years ago today
William Herschel Discovers Uranus
On the night of March 13, 1781, the self-taught German-British astronomer William Herschel was systematically surveying the sky from his garden in Bath, England, when he noticed a small disc-shaped object that moved against the background stars over successive nights. He initially thought it might be a comet, but further observations and calculations confirmed it was a new planet — the first to be discovered with a telescope, and the first new planet found in recorded history. The discovery of Uranus doubled the known size of the solar system and earned Herschel international fame and a royal appointment as King's Astronomer. The find demonstrated that the solar system was far larger and more complex than anyone had imagined.
This day, across time
- 624 CEEventBattle of Badr: First Major Muslim Victory
- 1639EventHarvard College Named After Its Benefactor
- 1741BornJoseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
- 1781FeaturedWilliam Herschel Discovers Uranus
- 1815EventCongress of Vienna Declares Napoleon an Outlaw
- 1855BornPercival Lowell
- 1862EventU.S. Congress Effectively Nullifies the Fugitive Slave Act
- 1870BornWilliam Glackens
- 1881DiedAlexander II of Russia
- 1911BornL. Ron Hubbard
- 1921BornAl Jaffee
- 1930EventPluto's Discovery Announced to the World
- 1954EventBattle of Dien Bien Phu Begins
- 1962EventOperation Northwoods Proposed to Secretary of Defense
- 1964DiedKitty Genovese
- 1988EventWorld's Longest Undersea Tunnel Opens in Japan
- 1996EventDunblane Massacre Kills 16 Children in Scotland
- 2013EventCardinal Bergoglio Elected Pope Francis
Alive in 1781
OverlapSame years; not influence
Adam Smithturned 58 this year
Andrew Jacksonturned 14 this year
Benjamin Franklinturned 75 this year
Catherine II of Russiaturned 52 this year
George Washingtonturned 49 this year
Immanuel Kantturned 57 this year
James Madisonturned 30 this year
Jane Austenturned 6 this year
John Adamsturned 46 this year
Louis XVIturned 27 this year
8 more figures were alive that year
On This Day in History
10 EventsBattle of Badr: First Major Muslim Victory
The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the early Muslim community led by Muhammad and the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, results in a decisive Muslim victory. The battle is considered a foundational moment in Islamic history.
Harvard College Named After Its Benefactor
The college established in Massachusetts Bay Colony the previous year is named Harvard College after clergyman John Harvard, who had bequeathed half his estate and his personal library to the institution. It is today the oldest university in the United States.
Congress of Vienna Declares Napoleon an Outlaw
Participants at the Congress of Vienna, alarmed by Napoleon's escape from Elba and return to France, formally declare him an outlaw and enemy of the peace of Europe, setting the stage for the Hundred Days campaign and the final showdown at Waterloo.
U.S. Congress Effectively Nullifies the Fugitive Slave Act
The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves, which effectively annuls the controversial Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and sets the legislative groundwork for the Emancipation Proclamation later that year.
Pluto's Discovery Announced to the World
The Lowell Observatory publicly announces the discovery of Pluto by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who had photographed the distant object on January 23, 1930. The announcement captivated the public and the new body was classified as the ninth planet until 2006.
Battle of Dien Bien Phu Begins
Viet Minh forces under General Võ Nguyên Giáp open the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ with a massive artillery barrage against French positions, launching the siege that would end French rule in Indochina and ultimately draw the United States into Vietnam.
Operation Northwoods Proposed to Secretary of Defense
The Joint Chiefs of Staff, under Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer, present a top-secret proposal titled 'Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba' to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The plan called for staging false flag operations — including fabricated terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and the sinking of refugee boats — to manufacture a pretext for invading Cuba. President Kennedy rejected the proposal outright and subsequently removed Lemnitzer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The documents remained classified until 1997.
World's Longest Undersea Tunnel Opens in Japan
The Seikan Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the world with an undersea segment at the time, opens between the Japanese islands of Honshū and Hokkaidō. At 53.85 km, it was a remarkable feat of engineering.
Dunblane Massacre Kills 16 Children in Scotland
A lone gunman enters Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and murders sixteen children and their teacher before killing himself, in the worst mass shooting in British history. The tragedy led to sweeping gun control legislation that effectively banned handguns in the United Kingdom.
Cardinal Bergoglio Elected Pope Francis
The papal conclave elects Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Francis. He became the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and a transformative figure in the modern Church.
Born on This Day
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor, reforming monarch
Joseph II was one of the most ambitious reforming monarchs of the 18th century, implementing sweeping changes in Habsburg lands including religious tolerance, abolition of serfdom, and educational reform. His progressive 'enlightened despotism' made him one of the most influential rulers of his age, though many of his reforms were reversed after his death.
L. Ron Hubbard
American author and founder of Scientology
L. Ron Hubbard was a prolific science fiction writer who developed Dianetics in 1950 and founded the Church of Scientology in 1953. He remains one of the most controversial religious and literary figures of the 20th century.
William Glackens
American realist painter
William Glackens was a leading figure in American realist art at the turn of the 20th century, known for his vibrant, Impressionist-influenced paintings of everyday urban life. He was one of the founders of the Ashcan School, which rebelled against the genteel idealism of academic painting.
Percival Lowell
American astronomer and mathematician
Percival Lowell was an American astronomer who dedicated much of his life to observing Mars and championing the idea of an inhabited planet crisscrossed by artificial canals. He established the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, which later became the site of Pluto's discovery.
Al Jaffee
American cartoonist, creator of MAD Magazine's Fold-In
Al Jaffee was one of the founding contributors to MAD magazine, where he invented the famous 'Fold-In' back-cover feature in 1964. He continued contributing to MAD until 2020, making him one of the longest-serving contributors in the history of American magazine cartooning.
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Alexander II of Russia
Emperor of Russia, the "Tsar Liberator"
Alexander II, the Russian tsar who emancipated the serfs in 1861 and initiated sweeping judicial and administrative reforms, was assassinated by a revolutionary bomb in St. Petersburg on March 13, 1881. His death shocked Europe and prompted his son to reverse many of his liberalizing reforms.
Kitty Genovese
American woman whose murder sparked bystander effect research
Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her apartment in Queens, New York, on March 13, 1964. News reports claiming that 38 witnesses watched without calling police prompted landmark research into the 'bystander effect,' though later investigation revealed the original narrative was largely false.
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