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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Arrives in the New World
According to History Lessons, Christopher Columbus left from Spain in 1492 with the goal of finding a faster trade route to India. However, instead of finding this route he landed in the New World. With his arrival, he found many Native Americans, who were met with brutality and cruelty from the Europeans. This event is significant because it gave the knowledge of the New World to the Old World and fueled exploration and colonization in this uncharted land. -
Jan 23, 1556
1556 Shaanxi Earthquake
In 1556, according to History.com, Shaanxi was hit with the deadliest earthquake on record killing almost 830,000 people. This was the third deadliest natural disaster on record. This earthquake took place during the Ming Dynasty. -
Sicily Earthquake
In 1693, an earthquake struck Sicily with a foreshock on January 9 and a mainshock with a magnitude of 7.4, making it the most powerful earthquake to hit Italy. The earthquake destroyed 70 towns and cities and killed 60,000 people, according to History.com -
The British Declare War on the French In the French and Indian War
According to America: History of Our Nation, the British and French both claimed the Ohio River Valley. Both nations wanted the land to grow farms and create cities. However, the French started building a fort on this land and after refusing not to move, the war breaks out. Though in the beginning of the war the British suffered great defeats, in 1763, the Trety of Paris was signed. This ended the war and France gave all their territory in North America to the British. -
Proclamation of 1763
According to the Proclamation of 1763 Reading, the proclamation was made to prevent the colonial population from "moving inland in this new land from the Treaty of Paris." The British "hoped to avoid costly wars, protect the western fur trade, and keep the western land speculation under the control of the crown." This was significant because it angered many colonists as they were restricted in their freedom to land they just won. -
Boston Massacre
According to History.com, on March 5, 1770, protestors were arguing against the British. Redcoats who were ordered not to fire ended up firing and killing 5 people. This was significant because it fueled the colonists to revolt against the British and was used as something to remebeer from. -
Tabriz Earthquake
With an epicenter of in Tabriz Iran and a magnitude of 7.7, almost all the buildings in Tabriz were fully destroyed. Many people died to the great earthquake, tolls estimated above 200,000 people, according to Britannica. -
Louisiana Purchase
According to History Alive! Textbook, in 1803, Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. "The Louisiana Purchase Treaty pushed the western boundary of the United States from the Mississippi River to the distant Rocky Mountains, at a cost of about four cents an acre." In addition, it was significant because it allowed the United States to control Louisiana and the Mississippi River, which were used as major economic trading locations. -
The Missouri Compromise
In 1819, Missouri applied to be a slave state, which would cause a tip in balance in the Senate towards the South, according to History Alive! Textbook. So the Missouri Compromise was passed that said that Missouri would enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state. In addition, it also made a line at latitude 36°30' in the Louisana Territory, where North of it slavery would be banned and South, it would be permitted." -
Coringa Cyclone
Coringa, a small town in India, was slammed by a large tropical cyclone that destroyed their port, 20,000 ships and killed 300,000 people. This made it the third worst natural disaster in the history of the world. Coringa was never able to make a recovery from this disaster and remains a small village today, according to Hurricane Science. -
California Gold Rush
According to History Alive! Textbook, in 1848 John Sutter found gold in his mill in California. With his discovery of gold, immigration to the United States increased significantly. "Between 1850 and 1860, California's population jumped from about 93,000 to over 380,000." This is significant becuase is shows how many people came to the United States and how movement played a role in the lives of many people who traveled in search of wealth. -
Battle of Gettysburg
On July 1, 1863, according to History Alive! Textbook, General Lee invaded the North. His troops numbered 95,000 met the Union forces numbered 75,000. At first General Lee was standing ground, but after suffering great losses on July 3, they were forced to retreat. For the North this was a great turning point in the war. -
14th Amendment
According to The Reconstruction Amendments, the 14th amendment was passed in 1868 and stated that all people born or naturalized in the United States were citizens of the United States and the state where they reside in. The amendment also stated that a state can not deprive a person of life, liberty, and property. -
Bengal Cyclone of 1876
The Bengal Cyclone, also known as the Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876, was a deadly cyclone that hit current day Bangladesh, killing 200,000 people. The cyclone, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, created a 40-foot storm surge that caused flooding in nearby cities. It is estimated that almost half of the deaths caused by the cyclone were from starvation and disease after the flooding. -
Yellow River Flood, China
This natural disaster occurred in China when the Yellow River also known as the Hwang Ho River water levels caused a large flood killing between 900,000 to two million people. This flood is the second deadliest natural disaster in history, according to World History Project. -
Ellis Island
According to America Story of Us: Cities, Ellis Island was a station for immigrants to enter the United States. It was first opened on January 1, 1892, and 12 million immigrants were processed in 62 years. This is significant because 40% of U.S. citizens today can trace their heritage to Ellis Island. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a German telegram intercepted by the British, in which the Germans created an alliance with Mexico only if Mexico would try and regain New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona if the US decided to enter the war. This is significant because it was one fo the main reasons the United States entered World War l and it created a anti-German idea in the US. -
1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic
According to Smithsonian, the Spanish Flu began in the last year of World War 1. The US had many forts in America such as Fort Riley, where the Spanish Flu was first observed in America. There Albert Cook reported sick and within days 522 other men had reported sick. The Spanish Flu eventually spread for another two more years, claiming the lives of 50 to 100 million people. -
Yangtze River Floods, China
In 1931, a series of devastating floods hit China. Individually, somewhere the deadliest floods in history, but as a whole was the deadliest natural disaster in the 20th century. Though the highest estimated death toll is 4 million, making it the deadliest ever, there is speculation of this amount, with the lowest death toll at 400,000, according to History.com. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
According to History Alive! Textbook, Japanese aircraft carriers approached Pearl Harbor the home of the US Pacific Fleet. From their more than 300 bombers and planes launched an attack on Pearl Harbor. This led to 18 damaged ships and 300 damaged aircraft, while also leaving 2,400 dead. This is significant because it led to the US declaring war on Japan and opening the second front in World War ll. -
Bengal Famine
According to Global Security, the Bengal famine occurred in British India. Much of Bengal was starving due to the war and poor weather for growing seasons. This led to the death of 2-4 million people, marking it as one of the biggest famines in the world. -
Yalta Conference
According to the History Alive! Textbook, the Yalta Conference was the gathering of Franklin Roosevelt, Stalin, and Winston Churchill to discuss the future shaping of post-war Europe. One of the many decisions they made was to separate Germany into four divisions, each controlled by one of the major Allied countries. This is significant because it led to the escalation tensions between the US and USSR for the spread of their power and political systems and marked the beginning of the Cold War -
1948 Ashgabat earthquake
According to Time.com, the Ashgabat earthquake was an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 and ranked as extreme on the Mercalli intensity. It caused the city of Ashgabat, which at that time was in the Soviet Union, but is now in Turkmenistan, to be turned to rubble, killing 110,000 people. -
Dream Act was First Introduced
According to the American Immigration Council, the Dream Act, short for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors was created to help grant temporary legal status to undocumented minors, give protection from deportation, and make a pathway to permanent legal status. The Dream Act, however, has not been passed. -
Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
A magnitude 9.1-9.3 earthquake occurred by the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate. This large earthquake caused many large tsunamis, that hit the coastal regions in the Indian Ocean, such as Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka. These series of events cause the 227,898 deaths and 20 billion dollars in damages, according to CNN.
