The first Russian Revolution began. (1905) Russian troops fired on a group of peasants who were marching to see the Czar to spell out their grievances. The fight turned into a massacre known as "Bloody Sunday," during which more than 500 protesters were killed. The event sparked months of rioting throughout Russia, and is considered the beginning of the Czar's downfall, and the rise of modern Russia.
The US Supreme court determined elective abortion to be legal in Roe v. Wade. (1973) The decision was a revolutionary one for women's rights and feminism. Previously, women who had an abortion faced imprisonment in some states.
Queen Victoria died. (1901) Victoria had ruled over Britain for over 60 years, and was the oldest British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II surpassed her in 2007. She became known as the "grandmother of Europe" because of her relationship to most of the European royalty through her children and grandchildren's marriages.
The first Swiss Guards arrived at the Vatican. (1506) The Swiss Guards are best known today for serving as bodyguards and palace guards to the Pope. In the 1500s and 1600s, however, they were commonly used as bodyguards by royalty throughout Europe because of their reputation for discipline and loyalty.
Ted Kaczynski plead guilty to being the Unabomber. (1998) Police had been searching for the identity of the Unabomber for almost 20 years before he was finally caught. Kaczynski was later declared to be schizophrenic, and was sentenced to life in prison.
UK doctors declared the MMR vaccine to be safe. (2001) The MMR vaccine is commonly given to children to immunize them against measles, mumps, and rubella. Fears that the vaccine was linked to autism caused many to stop having their children vaccinated, however. After the finding, governments started massive campaigns to get parents to vaccinate their children again because of fears of a measles epidemic.
The first "jumbo jet" started service. (1973) The Boeing 747 was the first wide-bodied jet to be produced, and held the record for passenger numbers for almost 40 years after. It went on to become one of the most commonly used models of aircraft for both commercial and passenger use.
The Diet of Worms began. (1521) A diet was a meeting among the states of the Holy Roman Empire; this particular meeting was held in the city of Worms. The Diet of Worms was famous for its resulting edict, which made Protestant Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic.
The Apple Macintosh had its advertising debut at the Superbowl. (1984) The model is credited with popularizing the use of the computer mouse and the modern graphic computer interface.
Kmart filed for bankruptcy. (2002) The retail chain known for its "Blue Light Specials" and inexpensive consumer goods was the largest American retailer to ever file for bankruptcy up to that point.
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