Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton (born January 11, 1755/57; died July 12, 1804) was one of America’s Founding Fathers. A proponent of a strong central government, Hamilton shaped the early economic infrastructure and policies of the United States. Revolutionary War Born in the British West Indies, Alexander Hamilton moved to the United States in 1772. During the American …Read More

Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is the statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776. The Declaration announced that the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain would regard themselves as thirteen independent sovereign …Read More

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Mary Earhart (born July 24, 1897) was an American aviator whose record-setting career would make her the most famous female pilot in history. During an attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean and was never seen again. In December 1920, pilot Frank Hawks gave Earhart a plane ride that …Read More

Chernobyl Disaster

On April 26, 1986, a Soviet nuclear power plant near Chernobyl, Ukraine, became the site of the most disastrous nuclear accident in history, when it experienced explosions at one of its reactors. Disaster In the early hours of April 26, a planned simulation of an electrical power outage resulted in an uncontrolled nuclear reaction at …Read More

1939 Invasion of Poland

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded neighboring Poland in what is considered the opening conflict of World War II. Background In the year and a half leading up to the invasion, Adolf Hitler had been expanding Germany’s territory. On August 23, 1939, Germany signed a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union that had a secret …Read More

Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was a confrontation between patriot colonists and British soldiers on March 5, 1770, that left five colonists dead and six more wounded. The incident furthered anti-British sentiment among the colonists in the years leading up to the American Revolutionary War. Background In 1770, British regiments stationed in Boston tried to enforce tax …Read More

Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Lasting June 22 to December 5, 1941, it was a massive engagement, involving millions of troops along an 1,800-mile front. Germany’s eventual failure was a major setback for the country, as it forced them to fight a war on two fronts …Read More

Battles of Saratoga

The Battles of Saratoga were two Revolutionary War battles, fought on September 19 and October 7, 1777, near Saratoga, New York. Following the battles, British and German troops under British general John Burgoyne surrendered to American general Horatio Gates on October 17, turning the tide of the Revolutionary War in the Americans’ favor. Background In …Read More

San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m., San Francisco and the surrounding area was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake with an epicenter just two miles west of the city. Massive fires followed, burning a large portion of the city over the course of three days. Three thousand people were killed in the disaster, and half …Read More