This Week In History
Let’s learn about our past!
1898: Marie and Pierre Curie, after their recent discovery of polonium, identified the radioactive element radium, a silvery-white metal that would later be used in cancer treatments.
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1989: The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was reopened, symbolizing the reunification of East and West Germany.
1968: Eighty-two crewmen of the USS *Pueblo* were released after 11 months in North Korean captivity, following accusations that the U.S. Navy intelligence ship had entered North Korean waters.
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1814: The United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium, ending the War of 1812, reducing American dependence on Europe, and fostering a rise in U.S. nationalism.
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221: Sextus Julius Africanus first identified December 25 as the date of Jesus Christ’s birth, leading to the eventual celebration of Christmas on this day, though the exact origin of the date remains unclear.
2004: A powerful undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a massive tsunami that struck coastal regions from Thailand to Africa, killing over 200,000 people.
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1831: Charles Darwin embarked on the HMS *Beagle*, beginning the voyage that would lead to the development of his theory of evolution.