The Black Hole of Calcutta
Richard Cavendish describes how British prisoners were held captive by the army of the Nawab of Bengal, for one night, in the 'black hole' of Fort William in Calcutta.
Months Past
The First Hydrogen Bomb
The first US airdrop of a thermonuclear bomb happened on May 20th, 1956.
Death of Christopher Columbus
The man who ‘discovered’ the Americas died aged 55 on 20 May 1506.
The San Francisco Earthquake
The city was rocked by an earthquake on 18 April 1906.
Stalin Denounced by Nikita Khrushchev
The Soviet leader gave his famous speech on ‘The Personality Cult and its Consequences’ in a closed session on 25 February 1956.
Death of the Emperor Akbar
The Mughal emperor died on 25 October 1605.
Latimer and Ridley Burned at the Stake
The Oxford Martyrs were killed on 16 October 1555.
The Battle of Lechfeld
The Magyars of Hungary were defeated by an army led by Otto I, on August 10th, 955.
Ruth Ellis Executed
The last woman hanged in Britain was executed on 13 July 1955.
The Mutiny on the Potemkin
A rebellion erupted on the Russian battleship Potemkin on 14 June 1905.