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Peace of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht is a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of Spain, and involved much of Europe for over a decade. -
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Ten events of contemporary history
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The Spirit of the Laws was published
The Spirit of the Laws is a treatise on political theory, as well as a pioneering work in comparative law, published in 1748 by Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu.[2] Originally published anonymously, partly because Montesquieu's works were subject to censorship, its influence outside France was aided by its rapid translation into other languages. -
Watt patented the steam engine
Watt patented the device in 1769. In 1776 Watt and his business partner, Matthew Boulton, installed two steam engines with separate condensers. The modified steam engines not only reduced waste but also cut fuel costs. -
U.S. Constitution was published
Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words – “We The People” – affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens.Separated in three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. -
Storming of the Bastille
A state prison on the east side of Paris, known as the Bastille, was attacked by an angry and aggressive mob. The prison had become a symbol of the monarchy's dictatorial rule, and the event became one of the defining moments in the Revolution that followed. -
Flight to Varennes
The flight to Varennes refers to a failed attempt by King Louis XVI and his family to escape from revolutionary Paris -
Execution of Louis XVI
One day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo, which took place in Belgium, marked the final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte, who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. -
Stockton and Darlington Railway was opened
The Stockton and Darlington Railway was opened with the prime purpose of transporting coal from the South West Durham collieries around Shildon, West Auckland and Witton Park, to the River Tees at Stockton, for shipment to the south of England. -
Samuel Morse invented the telegraph
Developed in the 1830s and 1840s by Samuel Morse (1791-1872) and other inventors, the telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. It worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations.
