166 years ago today
Abraham Lincoln Elected 16th President
Abraham Lincoln won the U.S. presidential election with just under 40 percent of the popular vote — carrying no Southern states — in a four-way race that exposed the fatal fractures in American democracy. The result was seen across the South as an existential threat to the institution of slavery, and within weeks, South Carolina began the process of secession. By the time Lincoln was inaugurated in March 1861, seven states had already left the Union. The election directly triggered the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history, which would ultimately end slavery and remake the nation. Lincoln's victory on this day set in motion events that defined American history for generations.
Suleiman the Magnificent
Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Suleiman I ruled the Ottoman Empire at the height of its power from 1520 to 1566, expanding it across three continents through campaigns in Hungary, Persia, and North Africa. Known in the West as "the Magnificent" and in the East as "the Lawgiver," he also presided over a golden age of Ottoman art, architecture, and jurisprudence.
James Naismith
Canadian-American educator, inventor of basketball
James Naismith invented the game of basketball in December 1891 at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, nailing a peach basket to a gym balcony railing and writing thirteen original rules. The sport he created on a rainy afternoon is now played by an estimated 450 million people worldwide.
Adolphe Sax
Belgian-French instrument inventor
Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone in 1846, creating the only major musical instrument invented by a single person in the modern era. The instrument bridged the sound of woodwinds and brass, and it became central to jazz, classical, and popular music worldwide.
John Philip Sousa
American composer and bandmaster
John Philip Sousa was known as "The March King," composing 136 marches including The Stars and Stripes Forever, which serves as the National March of the United States. He led the United States Marine Band for twelve years and toured the world with his own band, making him one of the most famous musicians of the late 19th century.
Sally Field
American actress
Sally Field won two Academy Awards for Best Actress — for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984) — and became one of America's most respected dramatic performers. Her acceptance speech declaration "You like me, right now, you like me!" became one of Hollywood's most quoted moments.
Emma Stone
American actress
Emma Stone won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in La La Land (2016) and a second Oscar for Poor Things (2023), establishing herself as one of the leading actresses of her generation. She is known for her sharp comedic timing and emotional range across a wide variety of roles.
Charter of the Forest Sealed
King Henry III's regency government sealed the Charter of the Forest at St Paul's Cathedral, restoring common people's rights to use royal forests that had been enclosed under Norman kings. It was a companion document to Magna Carta and remained on the statute books until 1971.
Battle of Jemappes
French Revolutionary forces under General Dumouriez defeated the Austrian army at Jemappes in the Austrian Netherlands (modern Belgium), opening the Low Countries to French conquest. It was one of the first major victories of the new republican armies and demonstrated that citizen soldiers could defeat professional forces.
First Intercollegiate Football Game Played
Rutgers defeated Princeton 6–4 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in what is recognized as the first intercollegiate American football game. The game bore little resemblance to modern football — it was played with a round ball and 25 players per side — but marked the birth of a sport that would become central to American culture.
William McKinley Re-elected President
President William McKinley won re-election alongside his new running mate Theodore Roosevelt, defeating Democrat William Jennings Bryan for the second time. McKinley's assassination the following year elevated Roosevelt to the presidency.
Soviet Forces Liberate Kyiv
The Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front retook Kyiv from Nazi German occupation after the city had been held for over two years. The liberation came at tremendous cost — over 100,000 Soviet troops were killed in the operation — and the city itself had been devastated by both occupation and the scorched-earth policies of retreating German forces.
Meet the Press Debuts on Television
Meet the Press made its television debut on NBC, having already run on radio since 1945. It became the longest-running show in television history, providing a forum for interview-style political journalism that has shaped American political culture for decades.
M-19 Guerrillas Seize Colombia's Palace of Justice
The 19th of April Movement (M-19) guerrilla group stormed Colombia's Palace of Justice in Bogotá, taking hostages including Supreme Court justices. The Colombian military's violent recapture operation killed over 100 people, including eleven of the nation's Supreme Court justices, and destroyed the archives of thousands of criminal cases.
Tammy Baldwin Elected First Openly Gay U.S. Senator
Wisconsin voters elected Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate, making her the first openly gay person elected to the Senate. She also became the first woman elected to the Senate from Wisconsin, marking a milestone in American political history.
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Start a conversation →Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Russian Romantic composer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky died in Saint Petersburg just nine days after conducting the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, under mysterious circumstances. Officially attributed to cholera, some historians have suggested other causes. He left behind a body of work — including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and three beloved piano concertos — that remains at the heart of the classical repertoire.
Gene Tierney
American actress
Gene Tierney, the luminously beautiful star of Laura (1944) and Leave Her to Heaven (1945), died in Houston at age 70. Her performance as the enigmatic murder victim in Laura is considered one of the defining performances of Hollywood noir.
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