Worldcrunch
The deadliest tsunami in Japan’s history occurred on this day in 1896. The Sanriku earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.6 to 7.9 on the Richter scale. What caused the Sanriku earthquake of 1896? The earthquake was caused by the movement of the Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate along the Japan Trench. It was […]
On this day in 2018, the G7 summit was held in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. It brought together Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union was also represented at the summit. And Donald Trump’s stubbornness would steal the show. What were the main topics discussed during the […]
On this day in 1972, photographer Nick Ut captured the devastating impact of the Vietnam War on innocent civilians, particularly children. The girl in the photo is Kim Phuc, a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl, running naked and severely burned from a napalm attack. What happened to Kim Phuc after the Napalm Girl photograph was taken? Kim […]
Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India on this day in 2014, after his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won a majority in the Indian general election. What were Modi’s main promises during his election campaign? Narendra Modi campaigned on a platform of economic growth, job creation, and improving infrastructure in India. He […]
Salvador Dali was born on this day in 1904 in Figueres, Spain. The Spanish artist is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the surrealist movement. What style of art is Salvador Dali known for? Salvador Dali is known for his surrealist paintings, which often featured bizarre and dreamlike imagery that challenged […]
Bobby Sands died on this day in 1981, after 66 days on a hunger strike. He had refused food in protest of the British government’s refusal to grant him and other IRA prisoners political prisoner status. Who was Bobby Sands? Bobby Sands was an Irish nationalist and member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). […]
On this day in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama crossed the border from Tibet to India seeking political asylum because he and his followers were facing increasing persecution from the Chinese government. The Chinese had occupied Tibet in 1950, and tensions between the Tibetan people and the Chinese authorities had been escalating. Who is the […]
On this day in 1994, Israeli terrorist Baruch Goldstein entered the Cave of the Patriarchs, a holy site for Jews and Muslims, and opened fire on Muslim worshippers, killing 29 people and injuring more than 100 others. Who was Baruch Goldstein? Baruch Goldstein was an American-born Israeli physician and member of the far-right Kach party. […]
Nelson Mandela was released from prison on this day in 1990. Why was Nelson Mandela imprisoned? Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for his role in the resistance against the South African government‘s system of apartheid, a system of racial segregation and discrimination. He was arrested in 1962 and charged with sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the […]
Commonly known as the Nirbhaya case, in Munirka, a neighborhood in South West Delhi, Jyoti Singh, a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern, was beaten, gang-raped, and tortured in a private bus while traveling with a friend. Sign up to receive This Happened straight to your inbox each day! What happened after the New Delhi attack? There were […]
Updated November 11, 2023 at 12:00 After Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination of Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a series of diplomatic failures transformed a relatively inconsequential tragedy into the catalyst for two large Alliances of world powers to go to war in the largest conflict the world had ever seen. On this day, […]