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SHOW

Overview

Look back in time and examine the amazing events that happened on this day in history and which helped shape the world as we know it.

01: September 12, 490 BC: Athens Wins the Battle of Marathon

One of the most famous military matchups of ancient history was that of the Battle of Marathon, where a vastly outnumbered Athenian army managed to emerge victorious. Join a noted historian to understand how this happened.

5 min

02: September 22, 1862: Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation

Discover how President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation reflected not only his desire to ensure a Union victory in the Civil War, but also his deepening conviction that the end of American slavery was the very will of God.

11 min

03: September 28, 1928: Alexander Fleming Discovers Penicillin

Dig into the history of penicillin and see how a dirty petri dish changed the face of modern pharmaceuticals.

4 min

04: September 2, 1945: Japan Surrenders

Though the war in Europe had ended in April, Japan continued to hold out for several more months. Faced with the choice of either invading Japan or using the deadly new atomic bomb, US President Harry S. Truman made the momentous decision that would lead to the end of World War II.

6 min

05: September 15, 1890: Agatha Christie Is Born

In her many novels, stories, and plays, Agatha Christie would create some of the world’s most popular detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Christie redefined the mystery genre, and her gift for shocking plot twists helped make her the best-selling fiction author of all time.

3 min

06: September 29, 1901: Enrico Fermi Is Born

After fleeing fascism in 1938, Enrico Fermi joined America’s Manhattan Project and would later be dubbed the “architect of the nuclear age.”

7 min

07: September 14, 1741: Handel Completes Messiah

After much anticipation, George Frideric Handel completed his greatest oratorio, Messiah. But not everyone recognized its greatness right away. While the beauty of the music and the inspirational lyrics won over many listeners, other reactions were confused or downright negative—partially because not everyone was sure exactly what it was supposed to be!

7 min

08: September 23, 1932: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Is Formed

In 1932, Ibn Saud established the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The formation of this Middle Eastern monarchy was a story of regional rivalry and international entanglement that played out over 30 years at the beginning of the 20th century.

8 min