Puzzle Pass

Image credits

The images in our Timeline puzzles come from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit the game. Each one is in the public domain or available under the license named next to it; our adapted versions of CC BY-SA images are shared under that same license.

The Space Race

• Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk — Почта СССР, Public domain, source
• American and Soviet spacecraft dock in orbit during Apollo-Soyuz — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Apollo 8 astronauts become the first humans to orbit the Moon — NASA/Bill Anders, Public domain, source
• John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit Earth — NASA, Public domain, source
• NASA is established as the US civilian space agency — NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public domain, source
• Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the Moon — Neil A. Armstrong, Public domain, source
• Soviet probe Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon — Музей Космонавтики from Россия, CC0, source
• Sputnik 1 launches, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth — Soyuz235, Public domain, source
• Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into space — Arto Jousi / /Suomen valokuvataiteen museo / Alma Media / Uuden Suomen kokoelma; Restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source

To the Moon and Back

• Apollo 13 aborts its Moon landing after an oxygen tank explodes — NASAScan by Kipp Teague, Public domain, source
• Apollo 15 astronauts drive the first Lunar Roving Vehicle on the Moon — Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander., Public domain, source
• Apollo 17 lands, and Eugene Cernan becomes the last person on the Moon — NASA / Harrison H. Schmitt, Public domain, source
• Artemis I sends an uncrewed Orion capsule around the Moon — Uploaded by Patricia Moore, Public domain, source
• Chang'e 4 makes the first landing on the far side of the Moon — NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, Public domain, source
• China's Chang'e 3 lands on the Moon and deploys the Yutu rover — NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, Public domain, source
• India's Chandrayaan-3 lands near the Moon's south pole — NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, Public domain, source
• Luna 2 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon — NASA/NSSDCA (public domain), Public domain, source
• NASA's LCROSS impact confirms water ice in a crater on the Moon — NASA, Public domain, source

Exploring Mars

• India's Mangalyaan reaches Mars orbit on the country's first attempt — 4-RAZOR 01, CC0, source
• Mariner 4 sends back the first close-up photos of Mars — NASA, Public domain, source
• Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet — NASA, Public domain, source
• NASA's Phoenix lander finds water ice near the Martian north pole — NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public domain, source
• Sojourner becomes the first rover to drive on Mars — NASA/JPL, Public domain, source
• The Curiosity rover lands in Gale Crater on Mars — semeion.photo, Public domain, source
• The Ingenuity helicopter makes the first powered flight on another planet — NASA/JPL-Caltech, Public domain, source
• Twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity land on Mars — NASA/JPL/Cornell University, Maas Digital LLC, Public domain, source
• Viking 1 lands and returns the first clear photos from the Martian surface — NASA, Public domain, source

Women in Space

• Christina Koch and Jessica Meir carry out the first all-female spacewalk — Josh Valcarcel, Public domain, source
• Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot a Space Shuttle — This image or video was catalogued by Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: s93e5033., Public domain, source
• Kalpana Chawla becomes the first Indian-born woman in space — NASA, Public domain, source
• Liu Yang becomes the first Chinese woman in space — Tksteven, CC BY 3.0, source
• Mae Jemison becomes the first African American woman in space — NASA, Public domain, source
• Peggy Whitson becomes the first woman to command the International Space Station — NASA, Public domain, source
• Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space — NASA; retouched by Coffeeandcrumbs, Public domain, source
• Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to walk in space — Soviet Union Post, Public domain, source
• Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space — Post of the Soviet Union (“Lesegri”)., Public domain, source

Telescopes

• China completes FAST, a radio telescope dish 500 meters across — NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team, Public domain, source
• Isaac Newton builds the first practical reflecting telescope — David Brewster, Public domain, source
• NASA launches the Chandra X-ray Observatory — NASA/SAO, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Discovery carries the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit — NASA, Public domain, source
• Spectacle maker Hans Lipperhey applies for a patent on the telescope — Jacob van Meurs, Public domain, source
• The Arecibo radio telescope opens in Puerto Rico — Alessandro Cai (OliverZena), Public domain, source
• The giant Hooker telescope on Mount Wilson sees first light — George Ellery Hale, Public domain, source
• The James Webb Space Telescope launches from French Guiana — NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham/Emmett Given, Public domain, source
• The Kepler space telescope launches to hunt for Earth-like planets — NASA/JPL-CalTech, Public domain, source

Solar System Discoveries

• Asaph Hall discovers Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars — NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona, Public domain, source
• Astronomers discover Eris, a dwarf planet more massive than Pluto — NASA, ESA, and Adolph Schaller (for STScI), Public domain, source
• Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is discovered — NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker, Public domain, source
• Christiaan Huygens discovers Titan, the largest moon of Saturn — Caspar Netscher, Public domain, source
• Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Galileo discovers four large moons orbiting Jupiter — Justus Sustermans, Public domain, source
• Giuseppe Piazzi discovers Ceres, the first known asteroid — F. Bordiga, Public domain, source
• Neptune is discovered, right where mathematicians predicted it — NASA, Public domain, source
• William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus — Lemuel Francis Abbott, Public domain, source

Space Stations

• China launches Tianhe, the core module of its Tiangong space station — Shujianyang, CC0, source
• Skylab falls back to Earth, scattering debris over Western Australia — NASA (Crew of Skylab 4), Public domain, source
• Skylab, America's first space station, is launched — NASA, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir for the first time — NASA, GRIN DataBase Number: GPN-2002-000063, Public domain, source
• SpaceX Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to visit the ISS — NASA, Public domain, source
• The first long-term crew moves into the International Space Station — NASA, Public domain, source
• The first module of the Soviet space station Mir is launched — NASA, Public domain, source
• The Soviet Union launches Salyut 1, the world's first space station — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• Zarya, the first module of the International Space Station, launches — NASA, Public domain, source

Famous Comets

• Comet Hale-Bopp blazes in the night sky at its brightest — Jstuby, CC0, source
• Comet NEOWISE becomes visible to the naked eye worldwide — Šime Barešić, CC0, source
• Earth passes through the tail of Halley's Comet, sparking 'comet pill' panic — Donn, Bertram; Rahe, Juergen; Brandt, John C., Public domain, source
• Europe's Giotto probe flies past the nucleus of Halley's Comet — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• Fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crash into Jupiter — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Halley's Comet appears and is later stitched into the Bayeux Tapestry — Myrabella, Public domain, source
• Halley's Comet returns exactly as Edmond Halley predicted — Richard Phillips, Public domain, source
• NASA's Deep Impact probe smashes into Comet Tempel 1 — NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD, Public domain, source
• The Philae lander touches down on a comet for the first time — User:IanShazell, Public domain, source

Rockets

• A Falcon 9 first stage lands upright after an orbital launch — SpaceX Photos, CC0, source
• A German V-2 test rocket becomes the first human-made object in space — AElfwine, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• A Starship Super Heavy booster is caught by the arms of its launch tower — NASA, Public domain, source
• Europe's Ariane 1 rocket makes its first launch from French Guiana — Bill Ingalls, Public domain, source
• Konstantin Tsiolkovsky publishes his rocket equation for spaceflight — Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Public domain, source
• Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket — A team of engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) built a replica of the first liquid-fueled rocket., Public domain, source
• SpaceX's Falcon 1 becomes the first private liquid-fueled rocket in orbit — SpaceX, CC0, source
• The giant Saturn V Moon rocket makes its first flight — NASA; restored by Michel Vuijlsteke, Public domain, source
• The Soviet shuttle Buran makes its one and only flight, without crew — MASTER SGT. DAVE CASEY, Public domain, source

Black Holes and Exploding Stars

• A supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud is seen with the naked eye — NASA, ESA, P. Challis, and R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), Public domain, source
• Astronomers reveal the first image of the black hole at our galaxy's center — NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/CXC/STScI, Public domain, source
• Chinese astronomers record a new star that leaves behind the Crab Nebula — NASA, ESA, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State University), Public domain, source
• Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovers the first pulsar — Harry the Dirty Dog at English Wikipedia, CC0, source
• Karl Schwarzschild finds the first solution describing a black hole — Not mentioned, Public domain, source
• LIGO detects gravitational waves from two merging black holes — LIGO Laboratory, Public domain, source
• Stephen Hawking predicts that black holes give off radiation — NASA, Public domain, source
• The Event Horizon Telescope captures the first image of a black hole — Credit: NSF, Public domain, source
• Tycho Brahe observes a bright new star in Cassiopeia — Eduard Ender (1822-1883), Public domain, source

Grand Tour of the Outer Planets

• NASA's Juno spacecraft enters orbit around Jupiter — NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Sean Doran, Public domain, source
• Pioneer 10 makes the first flyby of Jupiter — Designed by Carl Sagan and Frank Drake. Artwork prepared by Linda Salzman Sagan. Photograph by NASA Ames Research Center (NASA-ARC), Public domain, source
• Pioneer 11 makes the first flyby of Saturn — Don Davis for NASA, Public domain, source
• The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter and drops a probe into its clouds — NASA / JPL / University of Arizona, Public domain, source
• The Huygens probe lands on Titan, Saturn's largest moon — NASA, Public domain, source
• Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launch on their tour of the outer planets — NASA/JPL, Public domain, source
• Voyager 1 becomes the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space — NASA/JPL, Public domain, source
• Voyager 2 flies past Neptune and spots its Great Dark Spot — NASA, Public domain, source
• Voyager 2 makes the first flyby of Uranus — NASA, Public domain, source

Animals in Space

• Albert II, a rhesus monkey, becomes the first primate in space — Air Research and Development Command, Public domain, source
• Dogs Belka and Strelka orbit Earth and return home safely — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Félicette becomes the first cat in space on a French rocket — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Fruit flies on a captured V-2 rocket become the first animals in space — NOAA, Public domain, source
• Ham the chimpanzee flies into space on a Mercury rocket — NASA, Public domain, source
• Spiders Anita and Arabella spin webs aboard Skylab — Skylab astronaut, Public domain, source
• Tardigrades survive exposure to open space on a European experiment — J A E Goeze, Public domain, source
• The dog Laika becomes the first animal to orbit Earth — Post of Albania, Public domain, source
• Two tortoises on Zond 5 become the first animals to fly around the Moon — Original uploader was user:Nicholasink at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source

The Space Shuttle Era

• Atlantis lands after the final mission of the Space Shuttle program — Kim Shiflett, Public domain, source
• Bruce McCandless makes the first untethered spacewalk with a jetpack — NASA, Public domain, source
• John Glenn returns to space aboard Discovery as the oldest astronaut yet — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Shuttle astronauts fix the blurry vision of the Hubble Space Telescope — NASA, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart shortly after liftoff — Kennedy Space Center, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Columbia is lost during its return to Earth — NASA/KSC, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Columbia makes the first shuttle flight — NASA, Public domain, source
• Space Shuttle Endeavour makes its first flight — NASA Photo by Carla Thomas. ke4roh rotated, cropped, and adjusted contrast., Public domain, source
• Test shuttle Enterprise, named after the Star Trek ship, is rolled out — NASA, Public domain, source

Great Astronomers

• Arthur Eddington's eclipse expedition confirms Einstein's bending of light — George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C., Public domain, source
• Cecilia Payne shows that stars are made mostly of hydrogen and helium — Smithsonian Institution/Science Service, restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Copernicus publishes his book placing the Sun at the center — J. Falck, Public domain, source
• Edwin Hubble shows that the universe is expanding — Johan Hagemeyer, Public domain, source
• Friedrich Bessel is the first to measure the distance to a star — Christian Albrecht Jensen, Public domain, source
• Galileo is put on trial by the Roman Inquisition — Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury, Public domain, source
• Henrietta Leavitt finds a way to measure cosmic distances with stars — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Isaac Newton publishes his law of universal gravitation in Principia — Photographed at the Royal Society, London, with the kind permission of the Royal Society Library, as part of WikiProject Royal Society. Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., Public domain, source
• Johannes Kepler shows that planets move in elliptical orbits — Attributed to Hans von Aachen, Public domain, source

Satellites

• Arthur C. Clarke proposes communication satellites in geostationary orbit — en:User:Mamyjomarash (Amy Marash), Public domain, source
• Early Bird becomes the first commercial communications satellite — NASA, Public domain, source
• Explorer 1, America's first satellite, discovers the Van Allen belts — NASA, Public domain, source
• Landsat 1 starts photographing Earth's land surface from orbit — none (Landsat), Public domain, source
• SpaceX launches its first batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites — U.S. Space Force photo by Joshua Conti, Public domain, source
• Telstar relays the first live television across the Atlantic — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The first satellite of the GPS navigation system is launched — NOAA, Public domain, source
• TIROS-1 becomes the first successful weather satellite — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Two satellites, Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251, collide in orbit — Dimov Stojce Ilcev, CC0, source

Private Spaceflight

• Dennis Tito becomes the first paying space tourist — NASA, Public domain, source
• Elon Musk founds the rocket company SpaceX — SpaceX, CC0, source
• Falcon Heavy sends a Tesla Roadster with a dummy 'Starman' into space — SpaceX, CC0, source
• Jared Isaacman makes the first commercial spacewalk on Polaris Dawn — NASA/Norah Moran, Public domain, source
• Jeff Bezos founds the rocket company Blue Origin — NASA Kennedy from United States NASA/Glenn Benson, Public domain, source
• Katy Perry flies to space on an all-female Blue Origin flight — Unknown, Public domain, source
• SpaceShipOne becomes the first private crewed craft to reach space — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• SpaceX flies astronauts to the ISS, the first private crewed orbital flight — NASA, Public domain, source
• Star Trek actor William Shatner flies to space on Blue Origin's rocket — McFadden, Strauss Eddy & Irwin for Desilu Productions, Public domain, source

Asteroids and Meteorites

• 'Oumuamua becomes the first known interstellar object seen in the Solar System — NASA, ESA, and J. Olmsted and F. Summers (STScI), Public domain, source
• A huge explosion over Tunguska in Siberia flattens millions of trees — Не указан в первоисточнике, неизвестен., Public domain, source
• A meteor explodes over Chelyabinsk in Russia, shattering windows — Vsatinet, CC0, source
• A meteorite shower at L'Aigle convinces scientists that rocks fall from space — Koefbac, Public domain, source
• Japan's Hayabusa brings the first asteroid samples back to Earth — JGarry at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• NASA's DART spacecraft crashes into an asteroid and changes its orbit — NASA, Public domain, source
• NEAR Shoemaker becomes the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Public domain, source
• The Alvarez team proposes an asteroid impact wiped out the dinosaurs — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / Department of Energy (Very minor restoration by Adam Cuerden), Public domain, source
• The Hoba meteorite, the largest ever found, is discovered in Namibia — Tmonty59, CC0, source

Space Firsts Around the World

• Britain launches Prospero, its only satellite sent up on a British rocket — John Hayman, Public domain, source
• China's first satellite orbits Earth playing 'The East Is Red' — Brücke-Osteuropa, CC0, source
• France becomes the third nation to launch its own satellite — San Diego Air & Space Museum, Public domain, source
• Helen Sharman becomes the first Briton in space — Soviet space program, Public domain, source
• India launches its first satellite on its own rocket — R.N.Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Japan's SLIM probe lands on the Moon with pinpoint accuracy — NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University, Public domain, source
• Rakesh Sharma becomes the first Indian citizen in space — Subhav Sharma, Public domain, source
• Sigmund Jähn becomes the first German in space — Soviet space program, Public domain, source
• Yang Liwei becomes China's first astronaut in space — Shujianyang, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Our Sun

• A solar storm knocks out the power grid across Quebec — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• A total solar eclipse sweeps across Europe from Cornwall to Romania — From public domain book, Public domain, source
• Europe's Solar Orbiter launches to photograph the Sun's poles — NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab, Public domain, source
• Hans Bethe explains how nuclear fusion makes the Sun shine — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Heinrich Schwabe discovers the regular sunspot cycle — unknown, must be dead for more than 70 years, Public domain, source
• Helium is discovered in the light of the Sun during an eclipse — not indicated, Public domain, source
• Parker Solar Probe flies closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before — NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben, Public domain, source
• The Carrington Event, the largest recorded solar storm, disrupts telegraphs — Richard Christopher Carrington, Public domain, source
• The SOHO observatory launches to watch the Sun nonstop — NASA, Public domain, source

Visiting the Planets

• Astronomers reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet — NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute, Public domain, source
• Mariner 10 becomes the first spacecraft to visit Mercury — Smithsonian Institution, CC0, source
• Mariner 2 makes the first successful flyby of another planet, Venus — NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Public domain, source
• MESSENGER becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury — NASA / JHU/APL, Public domain, source
• New Horizons flies past Pluto and reveals its heart-shaped plain — NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI, Public domain, source
• The Cassini spacecraft enters orbit around Saturn — NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Cornell, Public domain, source
• Venera 13 sends the first color photos from the surface of Venus — Post of Soviet Union, Public domain, source
• Venera 7 makes the first successful landing on another planet — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• Voyager 1 takes the 'Pale Blue Dot' photo of a distant Earth — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Public domain, source

Talking at a Distance

• Alexander Graham Bell makes the first telephone call to his assistant Watson — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Guglielmo Marconi receives a radio signal sent across the Atlantic — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Martin Cooper of Motorola makes the first call on a handheld mobile phone — Redrum0486, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Samuel Morse sends "What hath God wrought" by telegraph to Baltimore — Mathew Benjamin Brady, Public domain, source
• Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone on stage in San Francisco — Kaiser KurzydloVII, CC0, source
• TAT-1, the first transatlantic telephone cable, begins carrying calls — Henry M, Public domain, source
• The first coast-to-coast telephone call links New York and San Francisco — Gilbert H. Grosvenor Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress., Public domain, source
• The first transatlantic telegraph cable carries a message from Queen Victoria — Robert Charles Dudley, CC0, source

Computing Pioneers

• Ada Lovelace publishes what is seen as the first computer program — Alfred Edward Chalon, Public domain, source
• Alan Turing describes a universal computing machine in a famous paper — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Charles Babbage proposes his Difference Engine, a mechanical calculator — Tomwsulcer, CC0, source
• ENIAC, a room-sized electronic computer, is unveiled in Philadelphia — USGov-Military-Army, Public domain, source
• Gordon Moore predicts chip transistor counts will keep doubling — w:en:user:Wgsimon, Public domain, source
• Herman Hollerith's punched-card machines help count the US census — U.S. Census Bureau employees, Public domain, source
• IBM launches its Personal Computer, the IBM PC — Fried Dough, Public domain, source
• Intel releases the 4004, the first commercial microprocessor — Wolfgang Stief from Tittmoning, Germany, CC0, source
• Jack Kilby demonstrates the first working integrated circuit — Retired electrician based on US patents 2816228 and 3138743, Public domain, source

The Home Computer Boom

• Apple introduces the Macintosh with a mouse and graphical interface — Photo: Bernard Gotfryd - Edited from tif by Cart, Public domain, source
• Linus Torvalds releases the first version of the Linux kernel — Photograph by Brian Hankins, Public domain, source
• Microsoft releases the very first version of Windows — OS by Microsoft Corporation/Screenshot by PantheraLeo1359531 😺 (talk), Public domain, source
• The Altair 8800 kit computer appears on the cover of Popular Electronics — Tomwsulcer, CC0, source
• The Apple II goes on sale, one of the first mass-market home computers — Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA., Public domain, source
• The Commodore 64 goes on sale and becomes a best-selling home computer — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The hand-built Apple I goes on sale as a bare circuit board — Unknown, Public domain, source
• VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program for personal computers, is released — User:Gortu, Public domain, source
• Windows introduces the Start button and taskbar with a huge launch — яіску ѕнояє, CC BY 2.0, source

Riding the Rails

• A golden spike completes the first transcontinental railroad in the US — National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain, source
• Eurostar trains begin carrying passengers under the English Channel — Billy69150 (voir les conditions d'utilisation / see licensing below), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• France's high-speed TGV begins service between Paris and Lyon — Syced, CC0, source
• Japan's Shinkansen bullet train enters service between Tokyo and Osaka — MaedaAkihiko, CC0, source
• Richard Trevithick's steam locomotive makes the first railway journey — circa. 1829 author unknown, Public domain, source
• The first section of the London Underground opens — Romainbehar, CC0, source
• The Liverpool and Manchester Railway opens, the first intercity line — A.B. Clayton, Public domain, source
• The Stockton and Darlington Railway opens, using steam locomotives — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Werner von Siemens shows off the first electric passenger railway in Berlin — Siemens, Public domain, source

The Motor Car

• Germany opens the Cologne–Bonn road, often called the first autobahn — UnknownUnknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
• Henry Ford introduces the moving assembly line for car production — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Karl Benz patents his Motorwagen, a gasoline-powered automobile — Supplied by Benz to William Worby Beaumont and used in his book Motor Vehicles and Motors (1900), Public domain, source
• Mary Anderson patents the windshield wiper — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mercedes-Benz offers electronic anti-lock brakes in its S-Class — Bull-Doser, Public domain, source
• Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot builds a steam-powered road vehicle in France — Carle de Mazibourg, Public domain, source
• Tesla delivers its first Roadster, an all-electric sports car — U.S. Department of Energy, Public domain, source
• Volvo introduces the modern three-point seat belt — TTTNIS, CC0, source
• Waymo launches a paid self-driving taxi service in Phoenix — Alexander Corkhill, Public domain, source

Taking to the Skies

• Alcock and Brown make the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Charles Lindbergh flies solo from New York to Paris — Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, source
• Concorde begins supersonic passenger flights — Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain, source
• Louis Blériot flies across the English Channel — Marguerite Montaut, Public domain, source
• The Boeing 747 jumbo jet enters passenger service — Karl Gritschke (1923-1990), uploaded by: Moros, Public domain, source
• The double-decker Airbus A380 makes its first commercial flight — Dmitry A. Mottl, Public domain, source
• The Heinkel He 178 makes the first flight of a jet-powered aircraft — Heinkel, Public domain, source
• The Montgolfier brothers' hot-air balloon carries the first people aloft — Pater Noster Row, Public domain, source
• The Wright brothers make the first powered airplane flight at Kitty Hawk — John T. Daniels, Public domain, source

Power to the People

• Bell Labs unveils the first practical silicon solar cell — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Calder Hall in England opens as the first commercial nuclear power station — ENERGY.GOV, Public domain, source
• Edison's Pearl Street Station starts supplying electricity in Manhattan — Earl Morter, Public domain, source
• Edwin Drake drills the first commercial oil well in Pennsylvania — User:Metilsteiner, CC0, source
• Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction — Thomas Phillips, Public domain, source
• Nikola Tesla patents his alternating-current induction motor — Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
• Sony sells the first commercial lithium-ion battery — Sevenethics, CC0, source
• Thomas Edison tests a long-lasting carbon-filament light bulb — Joseph E. Hinds, Public domain, source
• Thomas Newcomen builds a steam engine to pump water from mines — Andy Dingley (scanner), Public domain, source

Household Helpers

• Charles Strite invents the automatic pop-up toaster — Pacific Electric, Public domain, source
• General Electric launches its Monitor-Top refrigerator — Paul Martin, Public domain, source
• Hubert Cecil Booth patents a powered vacuum cleaner in London — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Isaac Singer patents his practical sewing machine — Annie Spratt anniespratt, CC0, source
• Josephine Cochrane patents a hand-operated dishwasher — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Raytheon sells the Radarange, the first commercial microwave oven — Wrightmt, Public domain, source
• Rival introduces the Crock-Pot slow cooker — Daderot, CC0, source
• Thermos begins selling vacuum flasks that keep drinks hot or cold — Petey21, CC0, source
• Zenith's Flash-Matic becomes the first wireless TV remote control — Famille d'Eugene Polley, Public domain, source

Capturing the Image

• George Eastman patents flexible roll film for cameras — The original uploader was Megapixie at English Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• James Clerk Maxwell shows the first color photograph, a tartan ribbon — James Clerk Maxwell, Public domain, source
• Kodak engineer Steven Sasson builds the first digital camera — Bertrand Labévue, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Kodak sells its first camera: "You press the button, we do the rest" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Kodak's cheap Brownie camera brings snapshots to the masses — cogdogblog, CC0, source
• Leica introduces its compact 35 mm camera — Oskar Barnack, Germany, Public domain, source
• Louis Daguerre's photographic process is presented to the public in Paris — Liudmila & Nelson, CC0, source
• Sharp launches one of the first mobile phones with a built-in camera — Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The first Polaroid instant camera goes on sale — Daderot, CC0, source

Medical Machines

• Alexander Wood uses a hypodermic syringe to inject medicine — Barraud & Jerrard, Photographers, Public domain, source
• Barney Clark receives the Jarvik-7 permanent artificial heart — National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Public domain, source
• Ian Donald pioneers ultrasound scans to look at unborn babies — CDC/Jim Gathany <jdg1@cdc.gov>, Public domain, source
• René Laennec invents the stethoscope — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The da Vinci surgical robot is approved for use in US hospitals — Navy Medicine, Public domain, source
• The Drinker iron lung is first used to help a patient breathe — Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, source
• The first CT scan of a patient is made in London — Philipcosson at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X-rays — Erwin Hanfstaengl, Public domain, source
• Willem Kolff builds the first artificial kidney dialysis machine — United States Army, Public domain, source

Rise of the Thinking Machines

• A workshop at Dartmouth College coins the term "artificial intelligence" — Kane5187, Public domain, source
• Alan Turing proposes the imitation game, now known as the Turing test — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Amazon introduces the Echo smart speaker with the Alexa assistant — Samuel Wiki, CC0, source
• DeepMind's AlphaGo defeats Go master Lee Sedol — Sugitaro, CC0, source
• Frank Rosenblatt unveils the Perceptron, an early neural network — John C. Hay, Albert E. Murray, Public domain, source
• IBM's Deep Blue beats world chess champion Garry Kasparov — James the photographer, CC BY 2.0, source
• IBM's Watson beats human champions on the quiz show Jeopardy! — Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Joseph Weizenbaum's ELIZA becomes one of the first chatbots — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• OpenAI releases ChatGPT to the public — FoxTPNL, CC BY 4.0, source

Keeping Time

• Bell Labs builds the first quartz clock — E. E. Free, Public domain, source
• Britain offers a huge prize for a way to find longitude at sea — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Christiaan Huygens builds the first pendulum clock — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• John Harrison's H4 sea clock is tested on a voyage to Jamaica — Ferdinand Berthoud, Public domain, source
• Junghans launches the first radio-controlled wristwatch — Uhrenfabrik Junghans, CC0, source
• Most British railways adopt London time, known as railway time — Mr Serjeant Buzfuz, CC0, source
• North American railroads adopt standard time zones — UnaitxuGV, Heitordp and others, Public domain, source
• Seiko launches the Astron, the first quartz wristwatch — Francis Flinch, CC0, source
• The first leap second is added to the world's clocks — Time.gov - official US government work (NIST division), Public domain, source

The Small Screen

• Ampex unveils the first practical videotape recorder — No machine-readable author provided. E23~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• BBC Two begins Europe's first regular color TV broadcasts — Panhard, CC BY 2.5, source
• John Logie Baird demonstrates moving television pictures in London — Orrin Dunlap, Jr., Public domain, source
• John Logie Baird transmits television pictures across the Atlantic — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• JVC introduces the VHS videocassette format — Damian Yerrick (☎), Public domain, source
• Philo Farnsworth transmits the first fully electronic television image — Harris & Ewing, Public domain, source
• Sony launches the Betamax home video recorder — Beta_Max_Tape.jpg: Original uploader was Stevo81989 at en.wikipedia derivative work: Ubcule (talk), Public domain, source
• The first color television sets go on sale in the United States — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The United States switches off analog TV broadcasts for digital — MarcoTangerino, Public domain, source

Ships and Submarines

• Brunel's giant steamship Great Eastern is launched on the Thames — Robert Howlett, Public domain, source
• Charles Parsons' turbine-powered Turbinia races past the Royal Navy — Alfred John West, Public domain, source
• Robert Fulton's steamboat Clermont sails up the Hudson River — Detroit Publishing Co., Public domain, source
• The H.L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to sink an enemy warship — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Ideal X makes the first voyage as a container ship — Karsten Kunibert, Public domain, source
• The submarine Turtle attempts an attack on a British warship — Lieutenant Commander F.M. Barber, Public domain, source
• USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, is launched — U.S. Navy, Public domain, source

Inventions That Shaped the World

• Alfred Nobel patents dynamite — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Blaise Pascal builds the Pascaline, a mechanical calculator — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Chuck Hull is granted a patent for 3D printing — Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, Duane R. Hammond, Alyson R. Johnson, Alycia K. Knepp, Ryan F. LeBouf, Public domain, source
• Richard Drew of 3M invents clear Scotch tape — Evan-amos, Public domain, source
• The satellite navigation system GPS becomes fully operational — NOAA, Public domain, source
• Theodore Maiman builds the first working laser — Guy Immega, CC0, source
• Thomas Savery patents a steam-powered pump for draining mines — Thomas Savery, Public domain, source
• Walter Hunt patents the safety pin — Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, source
• Willis Carrier designs the first modern air conditioning system — 100th Anniversary Press Kit - Carrier Corp, Public domain, source

Wonder Materials

• British chemists patent polyester, a new synthetic fiber — Jynto (talk), CC0, source
• Charles Goodyear discovers how to vulcanize rubber — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Chemists at ICI accidentally discover polyethylene — Unknown, Public domain, source
• George de Mestral patents Velcro, inspired by burrs on his dog — Velcro5.jpg: Elkagye derivative work: Andrzej 22, Public domain, source
• Harry Brearley creates stainless steel in Sheffield — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Henry Bessemer patents a process for mass-producing steel — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Leo Baekeland invents Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic — Unknown, CC0, source
• Stephanie Kwolek invents Kevlar, the fiber in bulletproof vests — Industriemuseum Gent, CC0, source
• Sumio Iijima reports the discovery of carbon nanotubes — Carbon_nanotube_zigzag_povray.PNG: Arnero derivative work: Antony-22 (talk), Public domain, source

On Two Wheels

• Hildebrand & Wolfmüller sells the first production motorcycle — Victor Wilfred Pagé, Public domain, source
• Inventor Dean Kamen unveils the self-balancing Segway — Foxtod, CC0, source
• John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tire — Unknown, Public domain, source
• John Kemp Starley's Rover introduces the modern safety bicycle — Photojunkie, Public domain, source
• Karl Drais rides his pedal-less running machine, an early bicycle — Wilhelm Siegrist (1797-1843?), Public domain, source
• Paris launches its Vélib' bike-sharing system — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Piaggio launches the Vespa scooter in Italy — The original uploader was Stefan Kühn at German Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• The first recorded bicycle race is held in a park near Paris — Unknowable - Michaux staff or contract photographer from circa 1870s-80s., Public domain, source

Saving the Data

• Fritz Pfleumer patents magnetic tape for recording sound — Odnoz, CC0, source
• Google launches Google Drive for cloud file storage — Wvdp, CC0, source
• Hitachi releases the first one-terabyte hard drive — Ncanelas, Public domain, source
• IBM introduces the 8-inch floppy disk — Swtpc6800 en:User:Swtpc6800 Michael Holley, Public domain, source
• IBM ships the RAMAC, the first computer with a hard disk drive — User RTC on en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• IBM's 3380 becomes the first hard drive to hold a gigabyte — ArnoldReinhold, CC BY 2.5, source
• The first Blu-ray disc players go on sale — Aomaf, CC0, source
• The first USB flash drives go on sale — Dori, Public domain, source
• UNIVAC I becomes the first commercial computer to store data on tape — Daderot, Public domain, source

Pocket Gadgets

• Amazon launches the first Kindle e-reader — Tsgreer at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Apple releases the first iPad — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Casio launches the shock-resistant G-Shock watch — File:DW-5600E.png: Simon Le Bon derivative work: Pittigrilli, Public domain, source
• Hewlett-Packard launches the HP-35, the first scientific pocket calculator — Kucharek 16:25, 16 September 2006 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Motorola launches the ultra-thin Razr flip phone — Empoor at nl.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Nokia launches the 3310, a famously tough mobile phone — Michael Brandtner, Public domain, source
• Samsung releases the Galaxy Fold, a phone with a folding screen — Matabalt, CC0, source
• The first Apple Watch goes on sale — ubahnverleih, CC0, source
• The PalmPilot handheld organizer goes on sale — Rama & Musée Bolo, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, source

Lighting the Night

• Aimé Argand invents a much brighter oil lamp with a hollow wick — Creator:Messenger Company, CC0, source
• Fluorescent tube lamps go on sale in the United States — Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, source
• Georges Claude shows off the first neon lights in Paris — Junkyardsparkle, CC0, source
• London's Savoy Theatre becomes the first public building lit by electricity — Amédée Forestier, Public domain, source
• Nick Holonyak invents the first visible-light LED — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Pall Mall in London becomes the first street lit by gas lamps — Woodward, G. M. (George Moutard), approximately 1760-1809; Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, Public domain, source
• Shuji Nakamura demonstrates a bright blue LED — Cpl. Claudio A. Martinez, Public domain, source
• The inventors of the blue LED win the Nobel Prize in Physics — Gussisaurio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• William Murdoch lights his house in Cornwall with coal gas — Unknown, Public domain, source

Writing Machines

• Christopher Latham Sholes patents a practical typewriter — Daderot, CC0, source
• Hymen Lipman patents a pencil with an eraser attached — ZooFari, Public domain, source
• IBM introduces the Selectric typewriter with its golf-ball type head — Kirk Abbott Coro at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• IBM launches the 3800, the first commercial laser printer — Welleman, Public domain, source
• László Bíró patents the ballpoint pen — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Lewis Waterman patents an improved fountain pen — Original photographer unknown, digitized by Google Books in freely available book. Cropped, contrast enhanced and small background repair by Froggerlaura (talk)., Public domain, source
• Microsoft releases the first version of Word — MICROSOFT, Public domain, source
• The Bic Cristal ballpoint pen goes on sale — Wilfredor, CC0, source

Rise of the Robots

• Boston Dynamics unveils its humanoid robot Atlas — DARPA, Public domain, source
• Honda unveils its walking humanoid robot ASIMO — Syced, CC0, source
• iRobot launches the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner — Shawnc, Public domain, source
• Karel Čapek's play R.U.R. introduces the word "robot" — Work Projects Administration Federal Art Project, New York City, Public domain, source
• Saudi Arabia grants citizenship to the humanoid robot Sophia — ITU Pictures from Geneva, Switzerland, CC BY 2.0, source
• Sony launches AIBO, a robot dog — Bradhall71, Public domain, source
• The Mechanical Turk, a fake chess-playing automaton, amazes Vienna — Willis, Robert, 1800-1875, Public domain, source
• Unimate, the first industrial robot, starts work at General Motors — Frank Q. Brown, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, source
• Waseda University completes WABOT-1, the first full-size humanoid robot — Syced, CC0, source

Getting Around Town

• Alfred Beach demonstrates a pneumatic subway under Broadway in New York — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Blaise Pascal's horse-drawn carriages start a public bus service in Paris — Romainbehar, CC0, source
• Elisha Otis demonstrates his safety elevator in New York — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Jesse Reno's moving staircase, an early escalator, opens at Coney Island — Tim-desser, CC0, source
• London introduces a congestion charge for driving into the center — citytransportinfo, CC0, source
• Siemens opens the world's first electric tram line near Berlin — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first electric traffic light is installed in Cleveland, Ohio — Retired electrician, CC0, source
• The first line of the Paris Métro opens — Bellomonte, CC0, source
• The world's first parking meter is installed in Oklahoma City — Kurt Kaiser, CC0, source

Faster and Faster

• A French TGV sets a rail speed record of 574.8 km/h — Passion SNCF, CC0, source
• A Japanese maglev train reaches 603 km/h in a test run — Saruno Hirobano, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 — Jack Ridley, Public domain, source
• Henry Segrave becomes the first to drive faster than 200 mph — David Hunt, Public domain, source
• Stephenson's Rocket wins the Rainhill locomotive trials — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The electric car La Jamais Contente is first to pass 100 km/h — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Mallard sets a speed record for steam locomotives — Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0, source
• The SR-71 Blackbird sets an airspeed record for jet aircraft — USAF / Judson Brohmer, Public domain, source
• ThrustSSC becomes the first car to break the sound barrier — AJB83 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Paying Your Way

• A Sting CD becomes one of the first purchases with secure online payment — Bogdan Hoyaux / European Commission, CC BY 4.0, source
• Apple Pay launches tap-to-pay with the iPhone — KKPCW, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Bank of America launches BankAmericard, which later becomes Visa — Jameshemphill134, CC0, source
• Banker John Biggins introduces the Charg-It card in Brooklyn — Lotus Head from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
• Barclaycard becomes the first credit card in the United Kingdom — Barclaycard, Public domain, source
• M-Pesa launches mobile phone payments in Kenya — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first Bitcoin block is mined by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto — Dennis, CC0, source
• The world's first cash machine opens at a Barclays branch in London — Elph, Public domain, source
• Western Union begins sending money by telegraph — Western_Union_Telegraph_Building,_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views_3.jpg: Robert_N._Dennis derivative work: Hchc2009, Public domain, source

Science Milestones

• Albert Einstein publishes the equation E = mc² — Lucien Chavan [1] (1868 - 1942), a friend of Einstein's when he was living in Berne.</ref>, Public domain, source
• Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin in a moldy petri dish — Official photographer, Public domain, source
• Carl Linnaeus publishes Systema Naturae, sorting living things into groups — Alexander Roslin, Public domain, source
• Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species — Julia Margaret Cameron / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Dmitri Mendeleev presents his periodic table of the elements — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Marie and Pierre Curie discover the elements polonium and radium — AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection, CC0, source
• Robert Hooke peers through a microscope and names the 'cell' — Robert Hooke, Public domain, source
• Stephen Hawking publishes his bestseller A Brief History of Time — NASA, Public domain, source
• Watson and Crick describe the double helix structure of DNA — Jerome Walker,Dennis Myts, Public domain, source

Medical Milestones

• A diabetic teenager in Toronto becomes the first person treated with insulin — Unknown author, Public domain, source
• A patient in Sweden receives the first fully implanted pacemaker — Warren K. Leffler, Public domain, source
• Bayer registers the trademark Aspirin — Bayer HealthCare LLC, Public domain, source
• Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant — Mario De Biasi (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, source
• Eduard Zirm performs the first successful cornea transplant — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Florence Nightingale leads a team of nurses to the Crimean War — After Henrietta Rae, Public domain, source
• Louise Brown is born, the world's first baby conceived by IVF — DrKontogianniIVF, CC0, source
• Surgeons in Boston give the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia — M. Rogawski, CC0, source

The Story of Vaccines

• Edward Jenner tests the first smallpox vaccine on a young boy — James Northcote, Public domain, source
• Jonas Salk's polio vaccine is declared safe and effective — SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Public domain, source
• Louis Pasteur's rabies vaccine saves a boy bitten by a rabid dog — Paul Nadar, Public domain, source
• Margaret Keenan becomes the first person to get an approved COVID-19 vaccine — Whispyhistory, CC0, source
• The BCG vaccine against tuberculosis is first given to a human — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first measles vaccine is licensed in the United States — U.S. Army 21TSC by Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Duncan, Public domain, source
• The first vaccine against cervical cancer-causing HPV is approved — Aveaoz, CC0, source
• The WHO recommends the first vaccine against malaria — Jim Gathany, Public domain, source
• The World Health Organization declares smallpox eradicated — Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/James Hicks, Public domain, source

Genes and DNA

• Dolly the sheep is born, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell — TimVickers at English Wikipedia (Original text: User:Llull on English Wikipedia), Public domain, source
• Doudna and Charpentier show CRISPR can be used to edit genes — For Emmanuelle Charpentier portrait, credit Bianca Fioretti of Hallbauer & Fioretti. For Jennifer Doudna portrait, credit User:Duncan.Hull and The Royal Society., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Friedrich Miescher discovers DNA, which he calls 'nuclein' — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Gregor Mendel publishes his pea plant experiments on heredity — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Kary Mullis invents PCR, a way to copy DNA millions of times — Tinojasontran, Public domain, source
• Oswald Avery shows that DNA carries genetic information — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rosalind Franklin's X-ray image 'Photo 51' reveals the shape of DNA — MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Human Genome Project completes the map of human DNA — Mikael Häggström, M.D. Author info - Reusing images- Conflicts of interest: None Mikael Häggström, M.D.- The work integrates Public Domain source images by Was A Bee, Kelvin Ma and Michał Komorniczak- Also, a special acknowledgement to everyone involved in the Human Genome Project for generating the source data.edit, CC0, source
• Thomas Hunt Morgan's fruit flies show genes sit on chromosomes — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

The Quantum Revolution

• Aspect, Clauser and Zeilinger win the Nobel Prize for entanglement experiments — Easy n, Public domain, source
• Erwin Schrödinger publishes his wave equation — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• John Bell proposes a test to show whether quantum entanglement is real — Fasach Nua at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Louis de Broglie proposes that particles also behave like waves — Benjamin Couprie, Public domain, source
• Max Planck proposes that energy comes in tiny packets called quanta — Hugo Erfurth, Public domain, source
• Niels Bohr proposes his model of electrons orbiting the nucleus — Bain News Service, publisher Restored by: Bammesk, Public domain, source
• Schrödinger describes his famous thought experiment with a cat in a box — ChatGPT 4.0, Dall-E 3.0ː Schrödinger's cat description, Public domain, source
• Werner Heisenberg states his uncertainty principle — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Wolfgang Pauli formulates his exclusion principle — Unknown, Public domain, source

Finding the Elements

• Alchemist Hennig Brand discovers phosphorus while boiling urine — Joseph Wright of Derby, Public domain, source
• Antoine Lavoisier publishes the first modern list of chemical elements — Jacques-Louis David, Public domain, source
• Henri Moissan isolates the dangerous element fluorine — sv:Generalstabens litografiska anstalt, Public domain, source
• Henry Cavendish identifies hydrogen as a separate substance — George Wilson, Public domain, source
• Humphry Davy isolates sodium and potassium using electricity — Thomas Phillips, Public domain, source
• Joseph Priestley isolates oxygen — Ellen Sharples, Public domain, source
• Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay discover argon, the first noble gas — Elliott & Fry, Public domain, source
• Neptunium becomes the first element heavier than uranium to be made — Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson get their official names — SCB2024, CC0, source

Inside the Atom

• Enrico Fermi's team achieves the first nuclear chain reaction in Chicago — Credit Line: Argonne National Laboratory, courtesy of AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Public domain, source
• Ernest Rutherford discovers the atomic nucleus — Bain News Service, publisher Restored by: Bammesk, Public domain, source
• Henri Becquerel discovers radioactivity in uranium salts — Paul Nadar / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• J. J. Thomson discovers the electron — Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, source
• James Chadwick discovers the neutron — United States Army Signal Corps, Public domain, source
• John Dalton publishes his theory that all matter is made of atoms — Thomas Phillips, Public domain, source
• Murray Gell-Mann proposes that protons and neutrons are made of quarks — Lumidek at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discover nuclear fission — Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Scientists at Fermilab discover the top quark — Fermilab, Reidar Hahn, Public domain, source

Women in Science

• Barbara McClintock wins the Nobel Prize for discovering 'jumping genes' — Smithsonian Institution/Science Service; Restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Dorothy Hodgkin wins the Nobel Prize for mapping molecules with X-rays — Astra Travasso, CC0, source
• Doudna and Charpentier become the first all-female team to win a science Nobel — Bianca Fioretti, Hallbauer & Fioretti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to earn a medical degree in the US — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Irène Joliot-Curie wins the Nobel Prize, like her mother before her — Harcourt, Public domain, source
• Jane Goodall begins studying wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania — U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, source
• Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch explain how uranium atoms split — Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, source
• Marie Curie becomes the first woman to win a Nobel Prize — Henri Manuel, Public domain, source
• Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, warning about pesticides — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, source

Germs and Microbes

• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek reports tiny 'animalcules' seen under his microscope — Jan Verkolje, Public domain, source
• Carl Woese identifies archaea as a separate domain of life — Phylogenetic_tree.svg: This vector version: Eric Gaba (Sting - fr:Sting) derivative work: AM Smith (talk), Public domain, source
• Hans Christian Gram develops his stain for classifying bacteria — Hansen & Weller, Niels Christian Hansen (16.12.1834-25.10.1922), Frantz Clemens Stephan Weller (17.5.1838-17.7.1900), Public domain, source
• Ignaz Semmelweis orders doctors to wash their hands — József Borsos / Albert Doctor, Public domain, source
• John Snow traces a London cholera outbreak to a water pump — Thomas Jones Barker, Public domain, source
• Joseph Lister publishes his method of antiseptic surgery — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Louis Pasteur tests heating to kill germs, later called pasteurization — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Robert Koch discovers the bacterium that causes tuberculosis — Wilhelm Fechner, Public domain, source
• Streptomycin, the first antibiotic against tuberculosis, is discovered — New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: Higgins, Roger, photographer., Public domain, source

Nobel Prizes

• Alfred Nobel signs the will that creates the Nobel Prizes — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Fleming, Florey and Chain share the Nobel Prize for penicillin — Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Future Nobel winner Andre Geim wins an Ig Nobel Prize for levitating a frog — Sergeom, CC0, source
• Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman win the Nobel Prize for mRNA vaccines — Szegedi Tudományegyetem, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Linus Pauling wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on chemical bonds — Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Marie Curie wins her second Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry — AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection, CC0, source
• The first Nobel Prizes are awarded, physics going to Wilhelm Röntgen — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Tu Youyou wins the Nobel Prize for her malaria drug artemisinin — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Watson, Crick and Wilkins win the Nobel Prize for the structure of DNA — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Electricity and Magnetism

• Alessandro Volta builds the first electric battery — Adolphe Ganot, Public domain, source
• Benjamin Franklin flies a kite in a thunderstorm to study lightning — Carl Rohl-Smith via frontispiece, Engineering Magazine. 2:6 (March 1892)., Public domain, source
• Charles-Augustin de Coulomb measures the force between electric charges — Louis Hierle, Public domain, source
• Georg Ohm publishes his law linking voltage, current and resistance — Derivative work: unknown, Public domain, source
• Hans Christian Ørsted finds that electric current moves a compass needle — Christian Albrecht Jensen, Public domain, source
• Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers superconductivity — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Heinrich Hertz first produces and detects radio waves — Robert Krewaldt, Kaiserplatz 16, Bonn, Public domain, source
• James Clerk Maxwell shows that light is an electromagnetic wave — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• William Gilbert publishes De Magnete, describing Earth as a giant magnet — William Gilbert, Public domain, source

The Human Body

• Andreas Vesalius publishes his landmark atlas of human anatomy — Andreas Vesalius, Public domain, source
• Bayliss and Starling discover secretin, the first known hormone — H.S. Raper;, Public domain, source
• Camillo Golgi invents a stain that makes nerve cells visible — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Hans Berger records the first human brain waves with an EEG — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Karl Landsteiner discovers the A, B and O blood groups — Bachrach Studios, Public domain, source
• Paul Broca identifies the brain area that controls speech — Pierre Petit, Public domain, source
• Scientists in Chicago discover REM sleep, the stage linked to dreaming — MrSandman at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The first MRI scan of a human body is made — Courtesy of NIAID Malcolm Houston, Public domain, source
• William Harvey shows that the heart pumps blood around the body — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

The Science of Light

• Arthur Compton shows that particles of light bounce off electrons — Unknown (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, source
• Hippolyte Fizeau measures the speed of light with a spinning toothed wheel — Charles Reutlinger, b.1816, Public domain, source
• Isaac Newton publishes Opticks, showing white light is a mix of colors — John Vanderbank / Formerly attributed to Godfrey Kneller, Public domain, source
• Johann Wilhelm Ritter discovers ultraviolet light — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Joseph von Fraunhofer maps dark lines in the spectrum of sunlight — NASA, Public domain, source
• Ole Rømer shows that light travels at a finite speed — Jacob Coning, Public domain, source
• The meter is redefined by the distance light travels in a vacuum — H. H. Dunn, Public domain, source
• The Michelson-Morley experiment finds no trace of the 'ether' — The original uploader was Bunzil at English Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• William Herschel discovers infrared light beyond the red of a rainbow — Lemuel Francis Abbott, Public domain, source

Wonder Drugs

• AZT becomes the first approved drug to treat HIV — Benjah-bmm27, Public domain, source
• French chemists isolate quinine, the malaria drug, from cinchona bark — F.L. Seely, Public domain, source
• Gerhard Domagk discovers Prontosil, the first sulfa antibiotic — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Gleevec is approved, a targeted pill that transforms leukemia treatment — Jynto (talk), CC0, source
• John Cade discovers that lithium helps treat bipolar disorder — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Oxford doctors treat police officer Albert Alexander with purified penicillin — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Paul Ehrlich's Salvarsan becomes the first modern targeted drug — Franz Wilhelm Voigt, Public domain, source
• Sofosbuvir is approved, leading to a cure for most hepatitis C patients — Shahin Merat, CC0, source
• The first birth control pill is approved in the United States — Jynto (more from this user), CC0, source

Measuring the World

• Anders Celsius proposes his temperature scale — Olof Arenius, Public domain, source
• Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury thermometer — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• France adopts a platinum bar as the official meter — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Lord Kelvin proposes an absolute temperature scale — T. & R. Annan & Sons; restored by Adam Cuerden[1], Public domain, source
• Louis Essen builds the first accurate atomic clock — National Physical Laboratory, Public domain, source
• Seventeen nations sign the Metre Convention in Paris — NIST, Public domain, source
• The International System of Units, or SI, is officially established — Lars Stenquist, Public domain, source
• The kilogram is redefined, retiring the metal cylinder in Paris — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The second is redefined using vibrations of the cesium atom — NIST, Public domain, source

The Living Cell

• Cells from Henrietta Lacks become the first immortal human cell line — National Institutes of Health (NIH), Public domain, source
• Eduard Buchner shows fermentation works without living yeast cells — Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Ernst Ruska and Max Knoll build the first electron microscope — Membeth, CC0, source
• Hans Krebs describes the cycle cells use to turn food into energy — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rudolf Virchow declares that every cell comes from another cell — Wilhelm Fechner, Public domain, source
• Scientists first grow embryonic stem cells from mice — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Shinya Yamanaka turns adult cells back into stem cells — Dɐ, CC0, source
• Theodor Schwann proposes that all animals are made of cells — Rudolph Hoffmann, Public domain, source
• Walther Flemming describes how cells divide, naming it mitosis — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Disease Detectives

• Chinese scientists share the genome of the new coronavirus online — NIH Image Gallery from Bethesda, Maryland, USA, Public domain, source
• Dmitri Ivanovsky finds a plant disease caused by something smaller than bacteria — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Ronald Ross proves that mosquitoes spread malaria — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Scientists at the Pasteur Institute identify the virus that causes AIDS — Content Providers: CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr., Public domain, source
• The Ebola virus is first identified, near the Ebola River in Zaire — Photo Credit: Dr. Frederick Murphy Content Providers(s): CDC/ Dr. Frederick A. Murphy, Public domain, source
• The SARS outbreak spreads from China to more than two dozen countries — Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Fred Murphy, Public domain, source
• The World Health Organization is founded — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• US doctors report the first cases of the disease later called AIDS — White House, Public domain, source
• Walter Reed's team shows mosquitoes transmit yellow fever — Unidentified photographer, Public domain, source

Big Science

• CERN announces the discovery of the Higgs boson — Gert-Martin Greuel, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
• CERN physicists discover the W and Z bosons — Alessandro Nassiri, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Craig Venter's team creates the first cell with a synthetic genome — National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), Public domain, source
• Seven partners sign the agreement to build the ITER fusion reactor — Johannes Reimer, CC BY 4.0, source
• The Antarctic Treaty sets aside Antarctica for peaceful science — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• The Human Genome Project officially begins — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Large Hadron Collider is switched on near Geneva — Conceptuel, CC0, source
• Twelve European countries found the CERN physics laboratory — Brücke-Osteuropa, CC0, source
• US scientists achieve fusion ignition, getting more energy out than in — Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Public domain, source

Chemistry Firsts

• Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov isolate graphene using sticky tape — Carbophiliac, Public domain, source
• August Kekulé proposes the ring structure of benzene — Unknown authorUnknown author Verlag / publisher: J.F. Lehmann, München, Public domain, source
• Friedrich Wöhler makes urea in the lab, an organic compound from inorganic ones — Rudolph Hoffmann, Public domain, source
• Fritz Haber first makes ammonia from the nitrogen in air — The Nobel Foundation, Public domain, source
• Harold Urey discovers deuterium, a heavy form of hydrogen — Flickr: ENERGY.GOV - Unknown photographer. Restored by Creator:Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Robert Boyle publishes The Sceptical Chymist, challenging alchemy — Johann Kerseboom, Public domain, source
• Roy Plunkett accidentally discovers Teflon — MdeVicente, CC0, source
• Teenage chemist William Perkin accidentally creates the first synthetic dye — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Wallace Carothers invents nylon at DuPont — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source

Forces, Heat and Motion

• Albert Einstein completes his general theory of relativity — Oren Jack Turner, Public domain, source
• An astronaut drops a hammer and a feather on the Moon; they land together — Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander., Public domain, source
• Daniel Bernoulli explains how fluids flow in Hydrodynamica — Johann Jakob Haid / Johann Rudolf Huber, Public domain, source
• Galileo publishes Two New Sciences, his work on motion and falling objects — Justus Sustermans, Public domain, source
• Henry Cavendish weighs the Earth using a torsion balance — Henry Cavendish, Public domain, source
• James Joule measures how much work produces a given amount of heat — John Collier, Public domain, source
• Léon Foucault's pendulum in Paris shows the Earth rotating — Arnaud 25, Public domain, source
• Robert Boyle publishes his law on the pressure and volume of gases — Johann Kerseboom, Public domain, source
• Sadi Carnot lays the foundations of thermodynamics — Louis-Léopold Boilly, Public domain, source

Earth's Biggest Moments

• Antarctica freezes over as its great ice sheet forms — Dave Pape, Public domain, source
• Archaeopteryx, an early bird with teeth and clawed wings, lives in Germany — HTO, Public domain, source
• Earth forms from rock and dust circling the young Sun — Illustration NASA-JPL, Public domain, source
• Microbes build stromatolites, among the oldest known traces of life — MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC, Public domain, source
• Oxygen starts to build up in the air: the Great Oxidation Event — USGS, Public domain, source
• Tiktaalik, a fish with leg-like fins, crawls through shallow water — Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation, Public domain, source
• Tiny moss-like plants leave the first known traces of life on land — Jasper Shide, CC0, source

Dinosaur Days

• Dilophosaurus, a crested meat-eater, hunts in what is now Arizona — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Eoraptor, one of the earliest known dinosaurs, runs around Argentina — Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Herds of thumb-spiked Iguanodon graze in what is now Belgium — Aimé Rutot (museum curator in 1882, geologist), Public domain, source
• Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur ever to be named, prowls England — Mary Morland (later Buckland; 1797–1857), Public domain, source
• Plateosaurus, an early long-necked plant-eater, roams Europe — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Spinosaurus, a sail-backed fish-eater, wades through North African rivers — MartinThoma, CC0, source
• Stegosaurus, with its rows of back plates, roams North America — Richard Swann Lull, Public domain, source
• Tyrannosaurus rex rules western North America — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Velociraptor, a feathered turkey-sized hunter, lives in Mongolia — Diagram Lajard, CC0, source

Human Origins

• Early humans in Europe and the Middle East use fire regularly — Harriet Chalmers Adams, Public domain, source
• Footprints left in volcanic ash at Laetoli show early humans walking upright — Momotarou2012, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Homo erectus appears, with a body shaped much like ours — Tales from the Workshop, CC0, source
• Lucy, an Australopithecus, lives in what is now Ethiopia — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Modern humans cross the sea and reach Australia — Saint amand, CC0, source
• Peking Man, a Homo erectus, lives in caves near today's Beijing — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• Sahelanthropus, one of the oldest possible human relatives, lives in Chad — Daderot, CC0, source
• Some of the oldest known Homo sapiens live at Jebel Irhoud, Morocco — José-Manuel Benito Álvarez —> Locutus Borg, Public domain, source
• The Neanderthals die out — Charles R. Knight, Public domain, source

Giants of the Past

• Argentinosaurus, one of the heaviest dinosaurs ever, roams Argentina — Daderot, CC0, source
• Arthropleura, a millipede longer than a person, crawls through forests — Ryan Schwark, CC0, source
• Brachiosaurus browses treetops with its giraffe-like neck — Interfase, Public domain, source
• Dunkleosteus, a huge armored fish, hunts in Devonian seas — LadyofHats, Public domain, source
• Herds of woolly mammoths roam the frozen steppes — Lou.gruber, Public domain, source
• Megalodon, a shark far bigger than a great white, hunts in the oceans — Jacopo Werther, Public domain, source
• Paraceratherium, the largest land mammal ever, roams Asia — Charles Robert Knight, Public domain, source
• Shonisaurus, a giant ichthyosaur the size of a whale, swims the seas — Ornitholestes, Public domain, source
• Titanoboa, a snake as long as a bus, lives in Colombia's swamps — Fécamp №0², CC0, source

Stone Age Milestones

• A dog is buried with two people at Oberkassel, Germany — Don Hitchcock, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Artists paint horses, bulls and deer on the walls of Lascaux cave — EU, Public domain, source
• Early humans make the first known stone tools in East Africa — Александр Сигачёв, CC0, source
• Farmers in the Fertile Crescent domesticate wheat — Host, Nikolaus Thomas Publisher: Vindobonae : A. Schmidt, 1801-1809.. Modified by uploader to remove background., Public domain, source
• Homo erectus begins shaping teardrop-shaped hand axes — Daderot, Public domain, source
• People in China make some of the oldest known pottery — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• People in the Balkans smelt copper from ore — Darla Sondrol, CC0, source
• The Lion-man figurine is carved from mammoth ivory in Germany — JDuckeck, Public domain, source

Famous Fossil Finds

• A living coelacanth, thought extinct for ages, is caught off South Africa — Post of Indonesia, Public domain, source
• Barnum Brown finds the skeleton that gives T. rex its name — Preston, Public domain, source
• Mary Anning finds the first complete plesiosaur skeleton — Credited to 'Mr. Grey' in Crispin Tickell's book 'Mary Anning of Lyme Regis' (1996), Public domain, source
• Quarry workers find Neanderthal bones in Germany's Neander Valley — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Richard Owen coins the word dinosaur, meaning terrible lizard — Lock and Whitfield, published by Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington (see [1], Public domain, source
• Sue, one of the most complete T. rex skeletons, is found in South Dakota — Shoffman11, Public domain, source
• The first skeleton of Archaeopteryx is found in a Bavarian quarry — James L. Amos, CC0, source
• The skeleton of Lucy is discovered in Ethiopia — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Taung Child skull is found in South Africa — José-Manuel Benito Álvarez (España) —> Locutus Borg, Public domain, source

Extinctions Through Time

• An asteroid hits Mexico and ends the reign of the dinosaurs — Milan Studio, Public domain, source
• Martha, the last passenger pigeon, dies at Cincinnati Zoo — Enno Meyer, Public domain, source
• Smilodon, the saber-toothed cat, dies out in the Americas — Othenio Abel, Public domain, source
• The Great Dying wipes out most species in the sea and on land — NASA, Public domain, source
• The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo is made on Mauritius — Roelant Savery, Public domain, source
• The last woolly mammoths die out on Wrangel Island — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Late Devonian extinction wipes out many reef-building animals — James St. John, CC BY 2.0, source
• The Ordovician extinction strikes as ice sheets grow and seas drop — Knvyf, Public domain, source

Rise of the Mammals

• Ambulocetus, a walking whale ancestor, hunts in shallow waters — Hans Thewissen, CC BY 2.0, source
• Dimetrodon, a sail-backed ancestor of mammals, hunts on land — Henry Fairfield Osborn, Public domain, source
• Gigantopithecus, the largest ape that ever lived, dies out in China — Daderot, CC0, source
• Moeritherium, an early elephant relative, wades through Egypt's swamps — Othenio Abel, Public domain, source
• Morganucodon, one of the earliest mammals, scurries past dinosaurs — FunkMonk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Proailurus, one of the first cats, climbs trees in Europe — Ghedoghedo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Purgatorius, a tiny early primate relative, climbs trees in Montana — Amedeo Modigliani, Public domain, source
• Repenomamus, a badger-sized mammal, snacks on baby dinosaurs — photographied by Morosaurus millenii, Public domain, source
• Smilodon, the saber-toothed cat, first appears — Othenio Abel, Public domain, source

Ice Age World

• A supereruption at Yellowstone creates its giant caldera — Ed Austin/Herb Jones, Public domain, source
• Hunters in Ukraine build huts from mammoth bones at Mezhyrich — Momotarou2012, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• In a warm spell between ice ages, hippos wallow in the River Thames — Pedroserafin, Public domain, source
• Rising seas drown Doggerland, the land between Britain and Europe — I, Polaris999, created and superimposed the image of Doggerland on the map of northern Europe created by User: Quizimodo, Public domain, source
• The current ice age begins as ice sheets spread across the north — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The ice reaches its peak, covering Canada and much of northern Europe — Merikanto, CC0, source
• The last ice age ends and today's warm Holocene begins — Denali National Park and Preserve, Public domain, source
• The Younger Dryas cold snap brings back ice-age chill — Alpsdake, CC0, source
• Toba on Sumatra erupts in one of the largest known volcanic blasts — NASA Landsat, Public domain, source

The First Farmers

• Çatalhöyük grows into one of the first large farming towns — Murat Özsoy 1958, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Farmers in Mesopotamia dig some of the first irrigation canals — Christopher Ellis, U.S. Army, Public domain, source
• Farmers on Orkney live in the stone village of Skara Brae — V. Gordon Childe, Public domain, source
• Farming reaches Britain and Ireland — Unknown, CC0, source
• Farming villages spread along the Nile in Egypt — Whymper, Charles, Public domain, source
• Huge carved stone pillars are raised at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey — Kerimove, CC0, source
• Hunter-gatherers in Jordan bake the oldest known bread — Shisma, CC0, source
• The people of Jericho build a great stone tower — Reinhard Dietrich, Public domain, source
• Villagers at Gilgal near Jericho grow fig trees — Tangopaso, Public domain, source

Life Moves onto Land

• Acanthostega, an early four-legged animal with eight fingers, lives — Conty, Public domain, source
• Arthropods leave trackways in volcanic ash in England's Lake District — Ghedoghedo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Cooksonia, an early plant with a stem, grows in damp ground — Max Rouger, CC0, source
• Hylonomus, one of the first reptiles, lives in hollow tree stumps — John William Dawson, Public domain, source
• Pederpes, one of the first animals with feet made for walking, lives — Paleocolour, CC0, source
• Pneumodesmus, the oldest known air-breathing land animal, lives — NPS Photo, Public domain, source
• Some of the first forests grow in what is now New York State — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Rhynie chert in Scotland preserves an early land ecosystem — Jpwilson at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Early Earth

• An asteroid creates the Vredefort crater, the largest known on Earth — NASA Earth Observatory image created by Lauren Dauphin, using Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8; data provided courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey team., Public domain, source
• Bangiomorpha, a red alga, is among the first known multicellular life — Anna Atkins, Public domain, source
• Dickinsonia and other soft Ediacaran creatures live on the sea floor — Daderot, CC0, source
• Grypania, a coiled ribbon-like organism, lives in shallow seas — Daderot, CC0, source
• Rocks form at Isua, Greenland, among Earth's oldest sediments — James St. John, CC BY 2.0, source
• Snowball Earth: ice may cover almost the entire planet — Oleg Kuznetsov - 3depix - http://3depix.com/, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Acasta Gneiss, one of Earth's oldest known rocks, forms in Canada — Pedroalexandrade, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Huronian glaciation, one of Earth's longest ice ages, begins — USGS Cannon, William F.; LaBerge, Gene L.; Klasner, John S.; Schulz, Klause J., Public domain, source
• Zircon crystals form that are the oldest known minerals on Earth — Original work: Aaron Cavosie, John Valley Extracted and re-arranged by Gretarsson, Public domain, source

Taking to the Skies

• Anchiornis, a feathered dinosaur with black-and-white wings, lives — Jonathan Chen, CC BY 4.0, source
• Argentavis, a bird with a wingspan of about seven meters, soars over Argentina — Rique, CC0, source
• Coelurosauravus, one of the first gliding reptiles, sails between trees — Nobu Tamura (http://spinops.blogspot.com), CC BY 2.5, source
• Eudimorphodon, one of the earliest pterosaurs, flies over Italy — Luigi Chiesa, CC BY 3.0, source
• Meganeura, a dragonfly-like insect as wide as a hawk, flies — Yinan Chen, Public Domain, source
• Microraptor, a four-winged dinosaur, glides through Chinese forests — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur as tall as a giraffe, soars over Texas — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Some of the earliest known bats fly over Wyoming — Ryan Schwark, CC0, source
• The oldest known winged insects flutter through the forests — Robert Evans Snodgrass, Public domain, source

Ocean Life Through Time

• Basilosaurus, a long serpent-like early whale, hunts in warm seas — Janson, Andrew R., Public domain, source
• Jaekelopterus, a sea scorpion longer than a person, hunts — National Park Service, Public domain, source
• Kumimanu, a giant penguin heavier than an adult human, swims — Csőröscsuka, CC0, source
• Mosasaurus, a giant marine lizard, hunts in shallow seas — Wilson44691, Public domain, source
• Plesiosaurus paddles through seas covering what is now England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Strange animals are buried in mud that becomes the Burgess Shale — Percy Edward Raymond, Public domain, source
• The first ichthyosaurs, dolphin-shaped reptiles, swim the seas — Dean Falk Schnabel, CC0, source
• The first reefs of the Great Barrier Reef begin to grow — Nerdge at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The first trilobites appear in the seas — Gary Todd, CC0, source

Continents on the Move

• India crashes into Asia and the Himalayas begin to rise — NASA, Public domain, source
• Kauai, the oldest main Hawaiian island, rises from the sea — Christian Joudrey cjoudrey, CC0, source
• Lystrosaurus roams lands that later split into separate continents — Othenio Abel, Public domain, source
• Madagascar and India drift apart — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• South America begins to split away from Africa — Brownfield, M.E., and Schenk, C.J., Public domain, source
• The Atlantic Ocean begins to open as Pangaea splits apart — Earth_seafloor_crust_age_poster.gif: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration derivative work: Rapture2018, Public domain, source
• The Mediterranean Sea almost completely dries up — No machine-readable author provided. Antonov assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• The supercontinent Pangaea comes together — Mary Joy 20 Marcial, CC BY 4.0, source
• Volcanic eruptions begin building the land that becomes Iceland — NASA image by Robert Simmon, Public domain, source

Land of the Pharaohs

• Ahmose I drives out the Hyksos and Egypt's New Kingdom begins — anonymous, CC0, source
• Alexander the Great founds the city of Alexandria — Unknown, CC0, source
• Cleopatra dies and Egypt becomes a Roman province — José Luiz, Public domain, source
• Hatshepsut begins her rule, later crowning herself pharaoh — Unknown, CC0, source
• King Narmer unites Upper and Lower Egypt into one kingdom — anonymous, Public domain, source
• Priests carve a decree in three scripts on the Rosetta Stone — RickDikeman, CC0, source
• Ramesses II begins his long reign as pharaoh — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• The Great Pyramid of Giza is completed for Pharaoh Khufu — David Roberts, Public domain, source
• Tutankhamun becomes pharaoh while still a child — Roland Unger, Public domain, source

Rise and Fall of Rome

• Augustus becomes the first Roman emperor — Till Niermann, Public domain, source
• Hannibal crosses the Alps with war elephants — Attributed to Nicolas Poussin, Public domain, source
• Mount Vesuvius erupts and buries Pompeii — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, Public domain, source
• Rome destroys Carthage at the end of the Punic Wars — Joseph Kremer, Public domain, source
• Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman emperor, is deposed — ANS, CC0, source
• Romulus founds the city of Rome, according to legend — Unknown, CC0, source
• The Edict of Milan grants freedom of worship to Christians — Александровы АГ, Public domain, source
• The Roman Empire reaches its greatest size under Trajan — Jebulon, CC0, source
• The Romans expel their last king and found the Republic — Jebulon, CC0, source

Around the Ancient World

• Emperor Ashoka conquers Kalinga, then turns to Buddhism — Friedrich Oscar Oertel (1862-1942), Public domain, source
• Hammurabi of Babylon issues his famous code of laws — Pequod76 at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Mohenjo-daro thrives as a great planned city of the Indus Valley — Ernest Mackay (Life time: 2 October 1943), Public domain, source
• Phoenician settlers found the city of Carthage, according to tradition — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Roman troops destroy the Temple in Jerusalem — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Scribes in Uruk develop cuneiform, one of the first writing systems — Original author unknown. Translation help provided by Manuel Molina., Public domain, source
• Spartacus leads a great slave revolt against Rome — Denis Foyatier, Public domain, source
• The first recorded Olympic Games are held at Olympia — Hall, Jennie, 1875-1921, Public domain, source
• The Olmec of Mexico carve colossal stone heads — Gary Todd, CC0, source

Ancient China

• Cai Lun presents an improved way of making paper to the emperor — Unknown author from the time of Ming dynasty, Public domain, source
• Qin Shi Huang dies and is buried with his Terracotta Army — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Qin Shi Huang unites China and becomes its first emperor — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Shang kings carve questions to their ancestors on oracle bones — Unknown, CC0, source
• The Han dynasty ends and China splits into the Three Kingdoms — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The philosopher Confucius is born in the state of Lu — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Zhou kings move their capital east to Luoyang — Rongcan Lu, CC0, source
• The Zhou overthrow the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye — Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0, source
• Zhang Qian sets out west, opening the way for the Silk Road — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Ancient Firsts

• Djoser's Step Pyramid, the first Egyptian pyramid, is built — Unknown, CC0, source
• Egypt and the Hittites sign one of the first known peace treaties — Monsieurdl mon talk-mon contribs, Public domain, source
• Eratosthenes measures the size of the Earth using shadows — Bernardo Strozzi, Public domain, source
• Nalanda, one of the first great universities, is founded in India — Sumitsurai, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Phoenicians spread an alphabet that inspires many later scripts — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rome begins the Appian Way and its first aqueduct — Gigi er Gigliola, CC0, source
• Rome stages its first recorded gladiator fight — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The kingdom of Lydia mints some of the first coins — O.Mustafin, CC0, source
• Ur-Nammu issues the oldest surviving written law code — Istanbul Archaeology Museums, CC0, source

Ancient Greece

• Athens surrenders to Sparta, ending the Peloponnesian War — Ward, Public domain, source
• Cleisthenes introduces democracy in Athens — Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
• Draco gives Athens its first written laws, famous for their harshness — Max Karl Baldamus, Public domain, source
• Philip II of Macedon defeats Athens and Thebes at Chaeronea — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Socrates is sentenced to death and drinks hemlock — Jacques-Louis David, Public domain, source
• Solon reforms the laws of Athens and cancels debts — François Kinson, CC0, source
• The Athenians defeat a Persian army at Marathon — Polygnotus of Thasos, Public domain, source
• The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta begins — The collection assembled by H. J. Vinkhuijzen (1843-1910). See: [2], Public domain, source
• Work begins on the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens — User:Mountain, Public domain, source

Battles of Antiquity

• Egypt and the Hittites fight a huge chariot battle at Kadesh — Mustang Joe, CC0, source
• Germanic tribes destroy three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest — Daniel Schwen, Public domain, source
• Hannibal crushes a much larger Roman army at Cannae — John Trumbull, Public domain, source
• Julius Caesar defeats Vercingetorix at Alesia — Jochen Jahnke at German Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium — Johann Georg Platzer, Public domain, source
• Romans and Visigoths halt Attila at the Catalaunian Plains — Anonymus (P. Magister), Public domain, source
• Scipio defeats Hannibal at Zama, ending the Second Punic War — Unidentified engraver, Public domain, source
• The Goths defeat the Romans at Adrianople, killing Emperor Valens — No machine-readable author provided. Ginolerhino assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• The Greek fleet defeats the Persians at Salamis — Filos96, Public domain, source

Roman Emperors

• Augustus dies and Tiberius becomes emperor — J. Paul Getty Museum, CC0, source
• Caligula becomes emperor of Rome — PierreSelim, Public domain, source
• Caracalla grants Roman citizenship to nearly all free people of the empire — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• Constantine dedicates Constantinople as the new capital — Matrakçı Nasuh, Public domain, source
• Diocletian becomes emperor and later splits power among four rulers — Nino Barbieri (talk · contribs), Public domain, source
• Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher emperor, comes to power — Alvesgaspar, Public domain, source
• Rome has four emperors in a single year — Romzig, CC0, source
• The Great Fire of Rome breaks out during Nero's reign — Hubert Robert, Public domain, source
• Trajan becomes the first Roman emperor born outside Italy — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source

Great Minds of Antiquity

• Archimedes dies as the Romans capture Syracuse — Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel, Public domain, source
• Aristotle opens his school, the Lyceum, in Athens — After Lysippos, Public domain, source
• Euclid writes the Elements, a geometry textbook used for ages — Euclid, Public domain, source
• Herodotus, the father of history, publishes his Histories — Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, source
• Plato founds his Academy in Athens — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Pliny the Elder publishes his Natural History encyclopedia — Geoffrey, Public domain, source
• Ptolemy writes the Almagest, describing an Earth-centered universe — Justus van Gent, Public domain, source
• Thales of Miletus predicts a solar eclipse, according to Herodotus — Published by Guillaume Rouille(1518?-1589), Public domain, source
• The mathematician Hypatia dies at the hands of a mob in Alexandria — Charles William Mitchell, Public domain, source

Ancient Disasters

• A deadly plague breaks out in besieged Athens — Michiel Sweerts, Public domain, source
• A great earthquake devastates Sparta — George E. Koronaios, CC0, source
• A massive earthquake strikes Antioch while Emperor Trajan is there — William Miller, Public domain, source
• An earthquake and tsunami swallow the Greek city of Helike — Unknown, Public domain, source
• An earthquake destroys Sardis and other cities in Asia Minor — Eduard Hildebrandt, Public domain, source
• An earthquake off Crete sends a tsunami into Alexandria — Jebulon, CC0, source
• An earthquake topples the Colossus of Rhodes — Edward Linley Sambourne, Public domain, source
• Fire damages the Library of Alexandria during Caesar's civil war — O. Von Corven, Public domain, source
• The Antonine Plague begins spreading across the Roman Empire — Szilas, Public domain, source

Rulers of the Ancient World

• Akhenaten becomes pharaoh and promotes worship of the sun disk Aten — Wells, H. G., Public domain, source
• Attila becomes sole ruler of the Huns — Unidentified engraver, Public domain, source
• Cleopatra becomes queen of Egypt — PHGCOM, Public domain, source
• Constantine becomes sole ruler of the Roman Empire — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Emperor Aurelian defeats Zenobia, the rebel queen of Palmyra — CNG, Public domain, source
• Hammurabi becomes king of Babylon — Sculpture by Thomas Hudson Jones; photo by the Architect of the Capitol, Public domain, source
• Herod the Great takes Jerusalem and begins his rule over Judea — Asaf T., Public domain, source
• Ptolemy I, a general of Alexander, crowns himself king of Egypt — Marie-Lan Nguyen, Public domain, source
• Sargon of Akkad founds what is often called the first empire — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Mesopotamia

• Ashurbanipal, collector of a great library, becomes king of Assyria — Levi Clancy, CC0, source
• Ashurnasirpal II holds a giant feast at his new capital, Nimrud — PierreSelim, Public domain, source
• Babylonians and Medes capture and destroy Nineveh — JoAnn S. Makinano, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, source
• Elamite invaders sack the city of Ur — Tla2006 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Nebuchadnezzar II becomes king of Babylon — Kurt Kaiser, CC0, source
• Royal tombs at Ur are filled with treasures like the Standard of Ur — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Sennacherib destroys the city of Babylon — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Sennacherib of Assyria besieges the cities of Judah — Shadsluiter, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Hittites sack Babylon, ending Hammurabi's dynasty — Unknown, Public domain, source

The Persian Empire

• Alexander the Great's army burns the palace at Persepolis — Norbert Nelte Flipper, CC0, source
• Ardashir I defeats the Parthians and founds the Sasanian Empire — No machine-readable author provided. Hara1603 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• Arsaces I founds the Parthian Empire — Gdr at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Cyrus the Great captures Babylon — Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Cyrus the Great defeats the Medes and founds the Persian Empire — több szerző, ismeretlen metsző, Public domain, source
• Darius I seizes the Persian throne — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source
• Shapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian — Original: AliganjeiCropped: TRAJAN 117, Public domain, source
• The Persian king Cambyses II conquers Egypt — Sonia Sevilla, CC0, source
• Xerxes invades Greece and wins the Battle of Thermopylae — Jacques-Louis David, Public domain, source

Alexander the Great

• Alexander becomes king of Macedonia after his father is assassinated — J. Paul Getty Museum, CC0, source
• Alexander defeats Darius III at the Battle of Issus — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Alexander defeats King Porus at the Hydaspes River in India — User PHGCOM, CC0, source
• Alexander defeats the Persians at the Battle of the Granicus — August Petrtyl, Public domain, source
• Alexander marries Roxana in Central Asia — Il Sodoma, Public domain, source
• Alexander the Great dies in Babylon — Photo by Daniel O'Connell, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, Public domain, source
• Alexander the Great is born in Pella, Macedonia — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Alexander wins the decisive Battle of Gaugamela — Jan Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, source
• The philosopher Aristotle becomes the young Alexander's tutor — After Lysippos, Public domain, source

Julius Caesar

• After a quick win at Zela, Caesar reports: I came, I saw, I conquered — Author:, Public domain, source
• Caesar begins his conquest of Gaul — Lionel Royer, Public domain, source
• Caesar celebrates four triumphal parades in Rome — User:MM copy in large size by User:Gustavo Szwedowski de Korwin, Public domain, source
• Caesar crosses the Rubicon with his army, starting a civil war — Jacob Abbott, Public domain, source
• Caesar defeats Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• Caesar is assassinated in Rome on the Ides of March — Jean-Léon Gérôme, Public domain, source
• Caesar is elected Pontifex Maximus, Rome's chief priest — Unknown, CC0, source
• Caesar serves his first term as consul of Rome — Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España, Public domain, source
• Gaius Julius Caesar is born in Rome — Wilfredor, CC0, source

Roman Britain

• Carausius declares himself emperor in Britain — Münzkabinett der Staatlichen Museen, CC0, source
• Constantine is proclaimed emperor by his troops at York — Poliphilo, CC0, source
• Emperor Claudius launches the Roman invasion of Britain — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Emperor Honorius tells the Britons to look after their own defense — J. W. WATERHOUSE (1849 - 1917) (Britain) Born in Rome. Died in London. Details on Google Art Project, Public domain, source
• Emperor Septimius Severus dies at York — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• Julius Caesar lands in Britain for the first time — Nicholas Blakey, Public domain, source
• The British leader Caratacus is handed over to the Romans — Thomas Prytherch, Public domain, source
• The Romans start building the Antonine Wall in Scotland — Director General of the Ordnance Survey, UK, Public domain, source
• Work begins on Hadrian's Wall across northern Britain — Steven Fruitsmaak, Public domain, source

Fall of the Western Empire

• Alaric and the Visigoths sack Rome — Allan Stewart, Public domain, source
• Attila the Hun invades Italy and meets Pope Leo I — Raphael, Public domain, source
• Clovis of the Franks defeats the last Roman ruler in Gaul at Soissons — Rowyn flowerdew, CC0, source
• Fleeing the Huns, the Goths cross the Danube into Roman land — Carl Simon, Public domain, source
• The Roman Empire is split for good into East and West — Unknown, CC0, source
• The Vandals capture Carthage — Hermann Knackfuß, Public domain, source
• The Vandals sack Rome — Karl Bryullov, Public domain, source
• Theodoric the Great takes Ravenna and becomes ruler of Italy — Fletcher, Banister, Public domain, source
• Vandals, Alans and Suebi cross the Rhine into Gaul — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Ancient India

• Ashoka is crowned emperor of the Maurya Empire — अर्चना रस्तोगी, CC0, source
• Chandragupta I founds the Gupta Empire — anonymous, CC0, source
• Chandragupta makes peace with Seleucus and gains lands in the west — Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC0, source
• Chandragupta Maurya founds the Maurya Empire — অসিত কুমার হালদার, Public domain, source
• Kanishka becomes ruler of the Kushan Empire — Author: Alexander Cunnigham in 1879, Public domain, source
• The Chinese monk Faxian sets out on foot to visit India — Ms Sarah Welch, CC0, source
• The great cities of the Indus Valley begin to decline — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• The last Maurya emperor is overthrown, ending the empire — Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata is born — Unknown, Public domain, source

The Ancient Americas

• A stela in Mexico records one of the oldest Long Count calendar dates — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Caral in Peru grows into one of the oldest cities in the Americas — Gisela Xiomara Garcia Almonacid, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Chavín de Huántar becomes a major temple center in the Andes — MI PERÚ, Public domain, source
• Maya artists paint the San Bartolo murals in Guatemala — Konjiki1, CC0, source
• People build the great earthworks of Poverty Point in Louisiana — United States Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, source
• Teotihuacan completes its giant Pyramid of the Sun — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Zapotecs found Monte Albán on a mountaintop in Mexico — Andrew McMillan, Public domain, source
• Warriors from Teotihuacan take control of the Maya city of Tikal — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Yax K'uk' Mo' founds the royal dynasty of Copán — Morley, Sylvanus Griswold, Public domain, source

Games of the Ancient World

• A race in full armor is added to the Olympic Games — Internet Archive Book Images, CC0, source
• Boxing is added to the Olympic Games — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Emperor Nero competes in the Olympic Games and is declared winner — Ewan ar Born, Public domain, source
• Four-horse chariot racing joins the Olympic Games — artist from ancient Melos, Public domain, source
• Kyniska of Sparta becomes the first woman to win at Olympia — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Pankration, a no-holds-barred fighting sport, joins the Olympics — metmuseum.org, CC0, source
• The Colosseum opens in Rome with a hundred days of games — Jebulon, CC0, source
• The Nemean Games become one of Greece's great sporting festivals — George E. Koronaios, CC0, source
• Wrestling and the pentathlon are added to the Olympic Games — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source

Crowns of Britain

• Elizabeth I becomes Queen of England — After Levina Teerlinc, Public domain, source
• Henry Tudor wins at Bosworth Field and becomes King Henry VII — Attributed to Meynnart Wewyck, Public domain, source
• James VI of Scotland also becomes King of England in the Union of the Crowns — Paul van Somer I, Public domain, source
• King Charles I is executed after the English Civil War — Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, source
• King John seals Magna Carta at Runnymede — Original authors were the barons and King John of England. Uploaded by Earthsound., Public domain, source
• The Acts of Union join England and Scotland into Great Britain — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Glorious Revolution drives James II from the throne — Jan Wyck, Public domain, source
• Victoria becomes Queen of the United Kingdom — George Hayter, Public domain, source
• William the Conqueror wins the Battle of Hastings — Myrabella, Public domain, source

The French Revolution

• Crowds in Paris storm the Bastille fortress — Jean-Pierre Houël, Public domain, source
• France abolishes the monarchy and declares the First Republic — Anonyme, dessinateur-lithographe, CC0, source
• King Louis XVI is executed in Paris — Antoine-François Callet, Public domain, source
• Louis XVI and his family are caught fleeing at Varennes — Thomas Falcon Marshall, Public domain, source
• Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power in the coup of 18 Brumaire — François Bouchot, Public domain, source
• Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French in Notre-Dame — Jacques-Louis David / Georges Rouget, Public domain, source
• Robespierre falls from power, ending the Reign of Terror — Louis-Léopold Boilly, Public domain, source
• The Festival of the Federation celebrates the Revolution's first anniversary — Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin, Public domain, source
• The five-member Directory takes over the government of France — Pierre Alexandre Tardieu / Hilaire Ledru, Public domain, source

The Age of Napoleon

• France adopts the Napoleonic Code, its new civil law — Imprimerie nationale, Public domain, source
• Napoleon Bonaparte marries Joséphine de Beauharnais — Andrea Appiani, Public domain, source
• Napoleon defeats the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo — Louis-François, Baron Lejeune, Public domain, source
• Napoleon dies in exile on the island of Saint Helena — Michel Dancoisne-Martineau, CC0, source
• Napoleon is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo — William Sadler, Public domain, source
• Napoleon leads a French expedition to invade Egypt — Jean-Léon Gérôme, Public domain, source
• Napoleon wins the Battle of Austerlitz against Russia and Austria — François Gérard, Public domain, source
• Napoleon's Grande Armée invades Russia and reaches Moscow — Adolph Northen, Public domain, source
• The Holy Roman Empire is dissolved after Napoleon's victories — Jebulon, CC0, source

Birth of the United States

• British General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown — John Trumbull, Public domain, source
• Colonists dump British tea into the harbor at the Boston Tea Party — Nathaniel Currier, Public domain, source
• Delegates in Philadelphia sign the United States Constitution — Howard Chandler Christy, Public domain, source
• English settlers found Jamestown in Virginia — Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994, Public domain, source
• George Washington is inaugurated as the first US president — Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, source
• Gold is found at Sutter's Mill, sparking the California Gold Rush — Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence — Frederick Girsch at the American Bank Note Company, for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Public domain, source
• The Mayflower Pilgrims land at Plymouth in New England — William Halsall, Public domain, source
• The United States buys the Louisiana Territory from France — BioKnowlogy, Public domain, source

A Nation Divided

• Abolitionist John Brown raids the arsenal at Harpers Ferry — unknown (based on a photograph), Public domain, source
• Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States — Mathew Benjamin Brady, Public domain, source
• Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War — Published by Currier and Ives, Public domain, source
• General Lee surrenders to General Grant at Appomattox — Hal Jespersen at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, offering free land in the West — Butcher, Solomon D. (Solomon Devore), 1856-1927, photographer, Public domain, source
• Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation takes effect — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law — National Archives of the United States, Public domain, source
• The United States buys Alaska from Russia — Emanuel Leutze, Public domain, source
• The US Supreme Court rules against Dred Scott in a landmark slavery case — Schultze, Louis, Public domain, source

The Caliphates

• Abu Bakr becomes the first caliph — ШЬЦХЧ, CC0, source
• Caliph al-Mansur founds the round city of Baghdad — Guy Le Strange (24 July 1854 – 24 December 1933), Public domain, source
• Charles Martel's Franks halt an Umayyad army at the Battle of Tours — Charles de Steuben, Public domain, source
• Harun al-Rashid, of Arabian Nights fame, becomes caliph — Gustav Weil, Public domain, source
• Muhammad and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina in the Hijra — SPQR10, CC0, source
• Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad cross into the Iberian Peninsula — Royal Air Force official photographer, Public domain, source
• The Abbasids overthrow the Umayyads and take over the caliphate — Bassem Fleifel, Public domain, source
• The Fatimid dynasty founds the city of Cairo — Lekegian, G., Public domain, source
• The Umayyad Caliphate is founded with its capital in Damascus — Gustav Bauernfeind, Public domain, source

The Ottoman Empire

• A Holy League fleet defeats the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• A relief army breaks the Ottoman siege at the Battle of Vienna — Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter, Public domain, source
• Osman I founds the state that grows into the Ottoman Empire — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source
• Ottoman and Serbian armies clash at the Battle of Kosovo — Adam Stefanović, Public domain, source
• Ottoman armies lay siege to Vienna for the first time — Johann Nepomuk Schönberg, Public domain, source
• Suleiman the Magnificent becomes Ottoman sultan — Cristofano dell'Altissimo, Public domain, source
• Sultan Mehmed II captures Constantinople — Fausto Zonaro, Public domain, source
• The Ottoman Empire launches the Tanzimat modernizing reforms — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Ottomans conquer Mamluk Egypt — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

The Mongol Empire

• A typhoon wrecks the second Mongol invasion fleet off Japan — Author unknown. Illustration rolls were ordered by Takezaki Suenaga himself., Public domain, source
• Genghis Khan dies during a campaign in western China — Charles-Eudes Bonin, Public domain, source
• Kublai Khan proclaims the Yuan dynasty in China — Araniko, Public domain, source
• Mongol armies capture the Jin capital Zhongdu, today's Beijing — Author Nikolay Przhevalsky (as Nicholas Prejevalski) Translator E. Delmar Morgan Editor Henry Yule, Public domain, source
• Mongol forces sack Baghdad, ending the Abbasid Caliphate — Unknown author, Public domain, source
• Temüjin is proclaimed Genghis Khan, ruler of the Mongols — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Mamluks stop the Mongol advance at the Battle of Ain Jalut — Jean Pierre Marie Jazet / After Carle Vernet, Public domain, source
• The Ming dynasty drives the Mongol Yuan rulers out of China — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Mongols defeat the Hungarian army at the Battle of Mohi — Márk Kálti, Public domain, source

Dynasties of China

• Boxer rebels besiege the foreign legations in Beijing — Kasai Torajirō, Public domain, source
• The Kangxi Emperor begins his long reign over Qing China — AnonymousUnknown author court artists, Public domain, source
• The Ming dynasty falls and the Manchu Qing take Beijing — No machine-readable author provided. 能臣 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• The Qianlong Emperor receives Britain's Macartney Embassy — Thomas Hickey, Public domain, source
• The Song dynasty is founded in China — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Tang dynasty is founded in China — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Nanking ends the First Opium War and cedes Hong Kong — Arnold Wright, Public domain, source
• The Yongle Emperor moves the Ming capital to Beijing — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• Wu Zetian becomes China's only female emperor — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Shoguns and Samurai

• Ashikaga Takauji is named shogun, starting the Ashikaga shogunate — anonymous, CC0, source
• Commodore Matthew Perry's black ships arrive in Edo Bay — Painted by:Hibata Ōsuke 樋畑翁輔(prepatory sketches, and possibly the scroll), Public domain, source
• Japan expels the Portuguese and closes itself off from most of the world — Kawahara Keiga, Public domain, source
• Japan's imperial capital moves to Heian-kyō, today's Kyoto — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes shogun, founding the Kamakura shogunate — Fujiwara no Takanobu, Public domain, source
• Portuguese traders reach Japan and introduce firearms — Kanō Naizen, Public domain, source
• The Meiji Restoration returns power to Japan's emperor — Takagi Haisui, Public domain, source
• Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun and rules from Edo — Kanō Tan'yū, Public domain, source
• Tokugawa Ieyasu wins the decisive Battle of Sekigahara — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Empires of India

• Akbar the Great becomes Mughal emperor — Govardhan / Mir Ali Heravi, Public domain, source
• Babur wins the First Battle of Panipat and founds the Mughal Empire — Probably, Aqa Riza, a Khurasani Persian migrant painter to India (The Indian heritage: court life & arts under Mughal rule, Victoria & Albert Museum, 1982, Item 38), Public domain, source
• Indian soldiers rise up against the East India Company — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India at a Delhi Durbar — >100 years, Public domain, source
• Qutb ud-Din Aibak founds the Delhi Sultanate — Eugene Clutterbuck Impey, Public domain, source
• Robert Clive's British forces win the Battle of Plassey in Bengal — Francis Hayman, Public domain, source
• Shivaji is crowned, founding the Maratha Empire — Sarada Ukil Memorial School of Art, Public domain, source
• The Indian National Congress holds its first session in Bombay — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Vijayanagara Empire is founded in southern India — Lyon, Edmund David (1825-1891)., Public domain, source

Trading Companies and Colonies

• Britain's First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove to found a penal colony — Port Jackson Painter, fl. 1788-1792., Public domain, source
• Jan van Riebeeck founds a Dutch supply station at Cape Town — Charles Davidson Bell, Public domain, source
• Peter Minuit buys Manhattan for the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam — Johannes Vingboons (cartographer), Jacques Cortelyou (surveyor), Public domain, source
• Queen Elizabeth I charters the English East India Company — R. H. Laurie. Original uploader to Wikipedia was Dbnull., Public domain, source
• Stamford Raffles founds a British trading post at Singapore — James Thomson, Public domain, source
• The Dutch East India Company (VOC) is founded — Museum Rotterdam., CC0, source
• The Dutch found Batavia, today's Jakarta, on Java — Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs, Public domain, source
• The English take New Amsterdam and rename it New York — Henry Alexander Ogden (1856–1936), Public domain, source
• The Hudson's Bay Company is chartered for the North American fur trade — Rindisbacher, Peter, 1806-1834., Public domain, source

Africa: Kingdoms and Colonies

• A Moroccan army defeats the Songhai Empire at the Battle of Tondibi — Taguelmoust, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Britain bans the Atlantic slave trade with the Slave Trade Act — Daderot, CC0, source
• Ethiopia defeats Italy at the Battle of Adwa, keeping its independence — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• European powers open the Berlin Conference to divide Africa — François Maréchal, Public domain, source
• Liberia declares independence, becoming Africa's first modern republic — United States. Navy Dept. Bureau of Equipment, Public domain, source
• Mansa Musa of Mali makes his famously lavish pilgrimage to Mecca — attributed to Abraham Cresques, Public domain, source
• The Second Boer War breaks out in southern Africa — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Suez Canal opens, linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea — Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• Zulu forces defeat a British army at the Battle of Isandlwana — No machine-readable author provided. RAM assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source

Aztecs, Incas and Conquistadors

• Francisco Pizarro captures the Inca ruler Atahualpa at Cajamarca — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Hernán Cortés and his allies capture Tenochtitlan — G. E., Public domain, source
• Moctezuma II becomes ruler of the Aztec Empire — Daniel del Valle, Public domain, source
• Pachacuti begins turning the Inca kingdom into a great empire — Guaman Poma, Public domain, source
• Spanish colonists discover huge silver deposits at Potosí — Mhwater at Dutch Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The Aztec Triple Alliance is formed in the Valley of Mexico — Codex_Mendoza_folio_61r.jpg: Francisco Gualpuyohualcal? derivative work: El ComandanteHasta ∞, Public domain, source
• The Aztecs found Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• The Treaty of Tordesillas splits the New World between Spain and Portugal — Map by Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas, Public domain, source
• Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold, falls to the Spanish — Harry Ward Foote, Public domain, source

Independence in the Americas

• Argentina declares independence at the Congress of Tucumán — Angel Paganelli (1832-1928), Public domain, source
• Bolivia becomes independent and is named after Simón Bolívar — Arturo Michelena, Public domain, source
• Canada is formed as a self-governing dominion by Confederation — Photographer: James Ashfield, Public domain, source
• Enslaved people in Saint-Domingue launch the Haitian Revolution — Denis Alexandre Volozan, Public domain, source
• Haiti declares independence from France — PilgrimKid16, CC0, source
• José de San Martín proclaims the independence of Peru in Lima — anonymous, Public domain, source
• Miguel Hidalgo's Cry of Dolores starts Mexico's war of independence — Antonio Fabrés, Public domain, source
• Prince Pedro declares Brazil independent from Portugal — Pedro Américo, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Paris recognizes the independence of the United States — Benjamin West, Public domain, source

Plagues, Fires and Disasters

• A great earthquake and tsunami devastate Lisbon — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupts in the largest eruption on record — This image was taken by the NASA Expedition 20 crew., Public domain, source
• Potato blight starts the Great Famine in Ireland — Illustrated London News/scan by Adam63, Public domain, source
• The Black Death reaches Europe through ports in Sicily — Pierart dou Tielt (fl. 1340-1360), Public domain, source
• The Great Chicago Fire burns through the city — Currier and Ives, Public domain, source
• The Great Fire of London destroys much of the city — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source
• The Great Plague sweeps through London — unknwn, Public domain, source
• The Plague of Justinian breaks out in Egypt and spreads across the empire — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The volcano Krakatoa erupts with a blast heard thousands of miles away — Lithograph: Parker & Coward, Britain;, Public domain, source

Printing and the Reformation

• Johannes Gutenberg completes his printed Bible in Mainz — US Post Office -- US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Public domain, source
• Luther's German translation of the New Testament is printed — Issued by the City of Eisenach, reproduced from an original banknote by: Palauenc05, Public domain, source
• Martin Luther publishes his Ninety-five Theses — Lucas Cranach the Elder, Public domain, source
• Martin Luther refuses to recant at the Diet of Worms — Anton von Werner, Public domain, source
• The Act of Supremacy makes Henry VIII head of the Church of England — Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, Public domain, source
• The Catholic Church opens the Council of Trent — Sebastiano Ricci, Public domain, source
• The King James Bible is published in England — Oxford University, Oxford, England, Public domain, source
• The Peace of Augsburg lets German princes choose their faith — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• William Caxton sets up England's first printing press — William Small, Public domain, source

Charlemagne to the Crusades

• Charlemagne is crowned Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day — Albrecht Dürer, Public domain, source
• Crusaders capture Jerusalem — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Otto I is crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome — Artwork: Creators of the Chronicle of Bishop Otto of Freising; Photo: AndreasPraefcke, Public domain, source
• Pope Urban II calls for the First Crusade — Jean Colombe, Public domain, source
• Saladin retakes Jerusalem from the Crusaders — Cristofano dell'Altissimo, Public domain, source
• The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople — Eugène Delacroix, Public domain, source
• The Great Schism splits the Eastern and Western churches — Gaspare Fossati (artist, 1809-1883) Louis Haghe (lithographer, 1806-1885) Adam Cuerden (restoration), Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Verdun splits Charlemagne's empire into three parts — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The University of Bologna, Europe's oldest university, is traditionally founded — Tryphosa Bates-Batcheller, Public domain, source

The Rise of Russia

• Catherine the Great takes the Russian throne — After Dmitry Levitzky, Public domain, source
• Dmitry Donskoy defeats the Golden Horde at the Battle of Kulikovo — Adolphe Yvon, Public domain, source
• Ivan the Terrible is crowned the first Tsar of Russia — Viktor Vasnetsov, Public domain, source
• Michael Romanov is elected tsar, founding the Romanov dynasty — anonymous, Public domain, source
• Mongol armies sack the city of Kyiv — George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
• Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg — Новелли, Пьетро Антонио. 1729-1804, Public domain, source
• The Great Stand on the Ugra River ends Mongol rule over Moscow — Anonymous Russian manuscript illuminators, 1560-1570s Facial Chronicle (Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible) (in 10 volumes: pdf, pdf with translation)Public domain image, Public domain, source
• Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom in Russia — Nikolay Lavrov, Public domain, source
• Vladimir the Great converts Kievan Rus' to Christianity — Viktor Vasnetsov, Public domain, source

The Industrial Revolution

• Abraham Darby begins smelting iron with coke at Coalbrookdale — Philip James de Loutherbourg, Public domain, source
• Britain's Factory Act limits child labor in textile mills — Lewis Hine, Public domain, source
• Cavalry charge a peaceful reform rally at Peterloo in Manchester — Richard Carlile, Public domain, source
• James Watt patents his improved steam engine — James Eckford Lauder (1811 - 1869) (Scottish) Details on Google Art Project, Public domain, source
• John Kay patents the flying shuttle, speeding up weaving — Kaspar Burkhardt, Public domain, source
• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto — Marx & Engels, Public domain, source
• Luddite workers begin smashing textile machines in England — Unknown. 195 years since publication, copyright extinguished, Public domain, source
• Richard Arkwright opens his water-powered cotton mill at Cromford — chevin, Public domain, source
• The Great Exhibition showcases industry in London's Hyde Park — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Treaties That Shaped the World

• Māori chiefs and the British Crown sign the Treaty of Waitangi — William Colenso (1811 - 1899), Public domain, source
• Russia and Qing China sign the Treaty of Nerchinsk — Governments of Russia and China, Public domain, source
• The Congress of Berlin reshapes the Balkans — Anton von Werner, Public domain, source
• The Congress of Vienna redraws the map of Europe — Jean-Baptiste Isabey, Public domain, source
• The Convention of Kanagawa opens Japanese ports to US ships — Wilhelm Heine, Public domain, source
• The Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years' War — Gerard ter Borch, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War — Government of the United States, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years' War — William Robert Shepherd, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Utrecht gives Gibraltar to Britain — The_Treaty_of_Utrecht.jpg: Original uploader was RedCoat10 at en.wikipedia derivative work: Angel paez (talk), Public domain, source

Queens and Empresses

• Elizabeth I's England defeats the Spanish Armada — Charles Edward Johnson, Public domain, source
• Empress Dowager Cixi seizes power as regent in China — John Yu Shuinling, Public domain, source
• Isabella I becomes Queen of Castile — anonymous, Public domain, source
• Maria Theresa inherits the Habsburg lands — Unidentified painter, Public domain, source
• Mary I becomes England's first crowned queen regnant — Antonis Mor, Public domain, source
• Mary, Queen of Scots inherits the Scottish throne as a baby — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Queen Anne succeeds William III on the English throne — Workshop of John Closterman, Public domain, source
• Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii is overthrown — Charles E. King, Public domain, source
• Wilhelmina becomes Queen of the Netherlands — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Kings of France

• France proclaims the Third Republic — Jules Didier / Jacques Guiaud, Public domain, source
• Henry IV becomes the first Bourbon King of France — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Hugh Capet becomes King of France, founding the Capetian dynasty — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Louis XIV dies, ending the longest reign in European history — Thomas Jones Barker, Public domain, source
• Louis XIV moves the royal court to the Palace of Versailles — Pierre Patel, Public domain, source
• Louis XIV, the future Sun King, inherits the French throne — Hyacinthe Rigaud, CC0, source
• Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France — Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Public domain, source
• Louis XVIII restores the Bourbon monarchy after Napoleon's fall — Louise Bouteiller, Public domain, source
• Napoleon III proclaims himself Emperor of the French — Jebulon, CC0, source

Famous Battles

• Admiral Nelson's fleet wins the Battle of Trafalgar — J. M. W. Turner, Public domain, source
• Henry V's English archers win the Battle of Agincourt — Unknown - Ms 6 f.243 Battle of Agincourt, 1415, English with Flemish illuminations, from the 'St. Alban's Chronicle' by Thomas Walsingham (vellum), English School, (15th century), Public domain, source
• Lakota and Cheyenne warriors win the Battle of the Little Bighorn — User Lordkinbote on en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Mexican troops storm the Alamo mission in Texas — Robert Jenkins Onderdonk, Public domain, source
• Robert the Bruce defeats the English at the Battle of Bannockburn — Wiki_publius (talk) (Uploads), Public domain, source
• The British take Quebec at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham — Benjamin West, Public domain, source
• The Duke of Marlborough wins the Battle of Blenheim — Jvhertum, Public domain, source
• Union forces win the Battle of Gettysburg — Thure de Thulstrup / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• William III defeats James II at the Battle of the Boyne — Benjamin West, Public domain, source

The Viking Age

• A Viking fleet sails up the Seine and besieges Paris — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Alfred the Great defeats the Danes at the Battle of Edington — Hassocks5489, CC0, source
• Harald Hardrada's Norwegian army is defeated at Stamford Bridge — Peter Nicolai Arbo, Public domain, source
• Iceland's parliament, the Althing, meets for the first time — W. G. Collingwood, Public domain, source
• Norse settlers begin the settlement of Iceland — TommyBee, Public domain, source
• The Danish king Cnut becomes King of all England — Drawing by M. Meredith Williams, Public domain, source
• The Great Heathen Army of Danish Vikings lands in England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Viking leader Rollo is granted land that becomes Normandy — Man vyi, Public domain, source
• Vikings raid the monastery of Lindisfarne in England — User:Schillerwein, CC0, source

Two World Wars

• Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day — U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra Gatti, Public domain, source
• An armistice ends the fighting of World War I — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo — Achille Beltrame, Public domain, source
• Germany invades Poland, starting World War II in Europe — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Germany surrenders and crowds celebrate VE Day — United States Army Signal Corps photographer, Public domain, source
• Japan attacks the US naval base at Pearl Harbor — Photographer: UnknownUnknown Retouched by: Mmxx, Public domain, source
• The Battle of the Somme begins on the Western Front — John Warwick Brooke, Public domain, source
• The Treaty of Versailles is signed in the Hall of Mirrors — William Orpen, Public domain, source
• The United States declares war on Germany and joins World War I — National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Public domain, source

World War II Up Close

• Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Britain, France, Germany and Italy sign the Munich Agreement — Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
• German forces surrender at Stalingrad — Sergey Strunnikov, Public domain, source
• Germany launches Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Japan surrenders aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay — Army Signal Corps, Public domain, source
• Paris is liberated from German occupation — Jack Downey, U.S. Office of War Information, Public domain, source
• The Royal Air Force fights the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain — Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services., Public domain, source
• The Soviet Union invades Finland, starting the Winter War — Unknown author., Public domain, source
• US carriers defeat the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Midway — USN, photographed from USS Pensacola (CA-24), Public domain, source

The Cold War

• Allied planes fly supplies into West Berlin in the Berlin Airlift — USAF, Public domain, source
• Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs in a failed invasion — Cecil Stoughton, Public domain, source
• Richard Nixon makes a historic visit to China — White House Photo Office (1969 – 1974), Public domain, source
• Soviet troops enter Afghanistan — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink of nuclear war — Cecil Stoughton, White House, Public domain, source
• The Soviet Union and its allies sign the Warsaw Pact — nieznany/unknown, Public domain, source
• Twelve countries found NATO in Washington — Julo, Public domain, source
• Warsaw Pact troops end the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia — The Central Intelligence Agency, Public domain, source
• Winston Churchill warns of an 'iron curtain' across Europe — Вестминстерский колледж в штате Миссури, США, Public domain, source

A Divided Germany

• East and West Germany both join the United Nations — White House (Samantha Appleton), Public domain, source
• East Germany begins building the Berlin Wall — National Archives, Public domain, source
• John F. Kennedy declares 'Ich bin ein Berliner' in West Berlin — Robert Knudsen, White House, Public domain, source
• Ronald Reagan urges 'Tear down this wall!' at the Brandenburg Gate — President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Public domain, source
• Soviet tanks put down a workers' uprising in East Germany — Unknown authorUnknown author (Franz Konrad confessed to taking some of the photographs, the rest was probably taken by photographers from Propaganda Kompanie nr 689.[1][2]), Public domain, source
• The Allies divide Berlin into four occupation sectors — Department of State Publication 4107, Public domain, source
• The Berlin Wall falls as border crossings open — Series: Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files, 1982 - 2007 Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921 - 2008, Public domain, source
• The German Democratic Republic, East Germany, is founded — Staatsverlag der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, Public domain, source
• Willy Brandt kneels at the Warsaw Ghetto memorial — U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, source

Votes for Women

• British women win the vote on equal terms with men — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Emmeline Pankhurst founds the Women's Social and Political Union — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Finland becomes the first European country to give women the vote — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Norway gives women the right to vote on equal terms with men — The original uploader was Squareshadow at Lithuanian Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• Sirimavo Bandaranaike becomes the world's first female prime minister — Centralna Agencja Fotograficzna, Public domain, source
• Swiss women win the right to vote in federal elections — Conceptuel, CC0, source
• The 19th Amendment gives American women the right to vote — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Women in France are granted the right to vote — Mqondisi Dube / VOA, Public domain, source
• Women over 30 win the vote in the United Kingdom — Alfred Pearce (1855–1933) [1] nom de plume "A Patriot", Public domain, source

Africa's Independence

• African leaders found the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, source
• Algeria wins independence from France — Robo at Slovak Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Ghana becomes independent under Kwame Nkrumah — USSR Post, Public domain, source
• Morocco gains independence from France — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mozambique and Angola gain independence from Portugal — Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994, Public domain, source
• Nigeria gains independence from Britain — Voice of America, Public domain, source
• Rhodesia's white minority government declares independence from Britain — Cyril Hartley, scanned by RokTheCroat, Public domain, source
• Tanganyika becomes independent under Julius Nyerere — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, source
• Zimbabwe becomes an independent nation — Whatthesigmaskibidifanumtax21, CC0, source

Empires End in Asia

• Bangladesh becomes an independent nation — CIA World Factbook, Public domain, source
• Brunei gains full independence from Britain — Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0, source
• Cambodia gains independence from France — The Asahi Shimbun, Public domain, source
• Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, gains independence from Britain — This image is a work of an employee of the Government of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) / Scanned Edited & Uploaded By MediaJet, Public domain, source
• Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam's independence in Hanoi — L74123 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Malaya celebrates independence with cries of 'Merdeka!' — Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysian and British government, Public domain, source
• Singapore separates from Malaysia and becomes independent — Australian News and Information Bureau, Canberra, Public domain, source
• The Netherlands transfers sovereignty to Indonesia — Onbekend/Anonymous, Public domain, source
• The Philippines gains independence from the United States — Philippine Presidential Museum and Library, Public domain, source

Civil Rights in America

• Marchers cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his 'I Have a Dream' speech — U.S. Information Agency, Press and Publications Service., Public domain, source
• Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis — Marion S. Trikosko, Public domain, source
• President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act — Cecil Stoughton, White House Press Office (WHPO), Public domain, source
• President Truman orders the desegregation of the US armed forces — Greta Kempton, Public domain, source
• Students begin lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina — Jack Moebes, Public domain, source
• The Little Rock Nine integrate Central High School in Arkansas — The U.S. Army, Public domain, source
• The NAACP is founded to fight racial discrimination in the US — Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, source
• The Supreme Court rules school segregation unconstitutional — Unknown author, Public domain, source

South Africa and Apartheid

• Desmond Tutu receives the Nobel Peace Prize — Benny Gool, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela is born in the village of Mvezo — Blossom Index, CC0, source
• Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment — M J Hurter, CC0, source
• South Africa becomes a republic and leaves the Commonwealth — Parliament of South Africa (Vector graphics image by Denelson83), Public domain, source
• Students in Soweto protest against lessons taught in Afrikaans — Sam Nzima, Public domain, source
• The Freedom Charter is adopted at Kliptown — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The National Party wins power and introduces apartheid — Ullischnulli (Ulrich Stelzner) at de.wikipedia., Public domain, source
• The organization that becomes the ANC is founded — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• The Union of South Africa is formed — Henry Straughan Wilkinson, scanned by RokTheCroat, Public domain, source

Leaders Take Charge

• Benito Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Charles de Gaulle returns to power in France — Office of War Information, Overseas Picture Division. [1] The image prefix (LC-USW3) at the Library of Congress image page matches that of pictures from the OWI collection (see prefix list here., Public domain, source
• Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in as US president — Vincenzo Laviosa, Public domain, source
• Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister of India — U.S. News & World Report photographer Warren K. Leffler, Public domain, source
• John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as US president — Record Group 111, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (111-SC-578830), Public domain, source
• Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first female prime minister — Marion S. Trikosko, Public domain, source
• Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the Soviet Union — White House Photographic Office, Public domain, source
• Theodore Roosevelt becomes President of the United States — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom — Dennis Charles Oulds, Public domain, source

From Tsars to Soviets

• Joseph Stalin dies in Moscow — Unknown, presumably by a government employee as part of official duties, Public domain, source
• Joseph Stalin launches the first Soviet Five-Year Plan — Yakov Guminer, Public domain, source
• Leonid Brezhnev replaces Khrushchev as Soviet leader — Vladimir Musaelyan, CC0, source
• Nikita Khrushchev denounces Stalin in a secret speech — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Petrograd is renamed Leningrad after Lenin's death — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Soviet Russia leaves World War I with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed — Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Public domain, source
• Troops fire on marchers in St. Petersburg on 'Bloody Sunday' — Vityavo, CC0, source
• Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the Russian throne — Ernst Sandau, Public domain, source

Building the European Union

• Citizens elect the European Parliament directly for the first time — Syced, CC0, source
• Greece joins the European Communities — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Robert Schuman proposes pooling French and German coal and steel — Reino Loppinen / Lehtikuva, Public domain, source
• Six nations sign the Treaty of Paris to form the Coal and Steel Community — Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
• Spain and Portugal join the European Communities — Gabriel from92, CC0, source
• The Council of Europe adopts a blue flag with a circle of gold stars — Julian Kücklich, CC0, source
• The Schengen Agreement is signed aboard a boat on the Moselle — Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Treaty of Rome creates the European Economic Community — scanned by NobbiP, Public domain, source
• The UK, Ireland and Denmark join the European Communities — almathias, CC0, source

The Modern Middle East

• Britain issues the Balfour Declaration — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Egypt and Israel agree to the Camp David Accords — Leffler, Warren K., photographer. Work for hire made for U.S. News and World Report, Public domain, source
• Five oil-producing countries found OPEC in Baghdad — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaims the Republic of Turkey — Original photographer unknown., Public domain, source
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proclaimed — سارة مصطفى الاربش, CC0, source
• The Six-Day War is fought between Israel and its neighbors — David Rubinger, Public domain, source
• The State of Israel is proclaimed in Tel Aviv — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Suez Crisis erupts after Egypt nationalizes the canal — Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, source
• The Yom Kippur War breaks out between Israel, Egypt and Syria — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

China Transformed

• Communist forces begin the Long March — Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0, source
• Deng Xiaoping begins China's 'Reform and Opening Up' — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mao launches the Great Leap Forward — Wang Liuying (王柳影), Xin Liliang (忻礼良), Meng Muyi (孟幕颐), Xu Jiping (徐寄萍), Zhang Biwu (张碧梧), Wu Shaoyun (吴少云), Jin Zhaofang (金肇芳), Yu Weibo (俞微波), Lu Zezhi (陆泽之), Public domain, source
• Mao Zedong dies in Beijing — CIA, Public domain, source
• Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China — Orihara1, Public domain, source
• Puyi, China's last emperor, abdicates — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Chinese Communist Party holds its first congress in Shanghai — Pyzhou, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Cultural Revolution begins in China — Wilfredor, Public domain, source
• The People's Republic of China takes China's seat at the UN — Horizon206, CC0, source

India's Road to Freedom

• British troops fire on a crowd at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar — PP Yoonus (ppyoonus@yahoo.co.in), Public domain, source
• Gandhi attends the Round Table Conference in London — James A. Mills, Public domain, source
• Gandhi calls on Britain to 'Quit India' — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Gandhi launches the Non-Cooperation Movement — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• India gains independence from British rule — Dgp4004, CC0, source
• India's constitution takes effect and the country becomes a republic — British India, CC0, source
• King George V announces India's capital will move to Delhi — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mahatma Gandhi returns to India from South Africa — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Wars in Korea and Vietnam

• An armistice halts the fighting in Korea — Bushby, Donald Douglas George, Public domain, source
• French forces are defeated at Dien Bien Phu — Stringer, AFP, Public domain, source
• North and South Vietnam are officially reunified — U.S. Department of State, Public domain, source
• North Korea invades the South, starting the Korean War — Unknown Marine, Public domain, source
• North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launch the Tet Offensive — John Olson, Public domain, source
• Saigon falls to North Vietnamese forces — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Gulf of Tonkin incident deepens US involvement in Vietnam — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Paris Peace Accords are signed to end US involvement in Vietnam — Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, source
• US Marines land at Da Nang, the first American combat troops in Vietnam — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Royal Moments

• American actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, source
• Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey — Herbert James Gunn, Public domain, source
• George V succeeds his father as British monarch — Ernst Sandau, Public domain, source
• Juan Carlos I becomes King of Spain — U.S. State Department, Public domain, source
• King Edward VIII abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson — Lafayette, Public domain, source
• Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer — Red Star News Co., London, Public domain, source
• Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten — Associated Press, Public domain, source
• Queen Victoria dies and Edward VII becomes king — John Jabez Edwin Mayall, Public domain, source
• The British royal family takes the name Windsor — Edward Thomas, Public domain, source

Modern Latin America

• A military coup in Chile brings Augusto Pinochet to power — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• A US-backed coup overthrows Guatemala's president — Gobierno de Guatemala, Public domain, source
• Argentina returns to democracy as Raúl Alfonsín takes office — No mencionado, Public domain, source
• Che Guevara is captured and killed in Bolivia — Alberto Korda, restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Chileans vote 'No' to Pinochet in a national referendum — Eluan SA, CC0, source
• Juan Perón is elected President of Argentina — Numa Ayrinhac, Public domain, source
• Mexico nationalizes its oil industry — Agustín Casasola, Public domain, source
• The Sandinistas take power in Nicaragua — txo, Public domain, source
• The US and Panama sign treaties to hand over the Panama Canal — White House photo, Public domain, source

Headlines That Shook the World

• A great earthquake and fire devastate San Francisco — George R. Lawrence (1869-1938), George R. Lawrence Co., Public domain, source
• A reactor explodes at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant — NASA, Public domain, source
• President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas — IcedCowboyCoffee, CC0, source
• Pro-democracy protesters fill Beijing's Tiananmen Square — HoweyYuan, CC0, source
• Richard Nixon resigns as President of the United States — President (1969-1974 : Nixon). White House Photo Office. 1969-1974, General Services Administration. National Archives and Records Service. Office of Presidential Libraries. Office of Presidential Papers. 1/20/1969-ca. 12/1974, Public domain, source
• RMS Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage — Robert Welch, Public domain, source
• Ronald Reagan survives an assassination attempt in Washington — Michael Evans, Public domain, source
• The airship Hindenburg bursts into flames in New Jersey — Murray Becker / Associated Press, Public domain, source
• The Spanish flu pandemic spreads around the world — Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Public domain, source

American Milestones

• Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th US states — Star Presidian, CC0, source
• Burglars break into the Watergate building in Washington — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act — Social Security Online, Public domain, source
• New Mexico and Arizona become US states — Mod creator, CC0, source
• Prohibition begins, banning alcohol sales in the US — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Prohibition ends in the United States — U.S. National Archives, The U.S. National Archives, Public domain, source
• Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States — NASA, Public domain, source
• Senator Joseph McCarthy claims communists work in the State Department — United Press, Public domain, source
• The Indian Citizenship Act makes Native Americans US citizens — National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, source

Peace and Human Rights

• Médecins Sans Frontières is founded in Paris — Post of Albania, Public domain, source
• Mother Teresa receives the Nobel Peace Prize — President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Public domain, source
• Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty to eliminate missiles — President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Public domain, source
• The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty opens for signature — Buroll, Public domain, source
• The UN adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The United Nations creates its refugee agency, UNHCR — UN, Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
• The United Nations is founded — Unknown - UN seal insignia (top right), Public domain, source
• The US, UK and Soviet Union sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty — Robert LeRoy Knudsen, Public domain, source
• UNICEF is created to help children after World War II — Scanned and uploaded by Renessaince, Public domain, source

Revolutions

• Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran as the Shah's rule collapses — Ali Kaveh[1][2][3], Public domain, source
• Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution ends communist rule — Department of State, Office of the Undersecretary for Management Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Public domain, source
• Egypt's Free Officers overthrow King Farouk — Un credited, Public domain, source
• Fidel Castro's rebels take power in Cuba — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Hungarians rise up against Soviet-backed rule in Budapest — CIA, Public domain, source
• Lenin's Bolsheviks seize power in the October Revolution — Pavel Zhukov, Public domain, source
• Portugal's Carnation Revolution ends decades of dictatorship — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
• The Mexican Revolution begins against Porfirio Díaz — D.W. Hoffman, an El Paso photographer, Public domain, source
• The Wuchang Uprising sparks the revolution that ends imperial rule in China — Unknown, Public domain, source

Between the Wars

• A General Strike brings much of Britain to a halt — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Dozens of nations sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact renouncing war — National Photo Company Collection, Public domain, source
• European powers sign the Locarno Treaties — Revista argentina Plus Ultra. Noviembre de 1925., Public domain, source
• Germany annexes Austria in the Anschluss — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch fails in Munich — Fotoarchiv Hoffmann, Public domain, source
• Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and Germany becomes a republic — Robert Warthmüller, Public domain, source
• The Irish Free State is established — Agence de presse Meurisse, Public domain, source
• The League of Nations holds its first meeting — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Spanish Civil War begins — Robert Capa, Public domain, source

Turning Points

• A German U-boat sinks the ocean liner Lusitania — George Grantham Bain, Public domain, source
• An Arab oil embargo sets off a worldwide oil crisis — David Falconer, Public domain, source
• Britain and Argentina fight the Falklands War — Harley D. Nygren, Public domain, source
• Irish republicans launch the Easter Rising in Dublin — Thomas Johnson Westropp, CC0, source
• Karol Wojtyła of Poland is elected Pope John Paul II — Thomas J. O'Halloran, photographer, U.S. News & World Report magazine, Public domain, source
• The Marshall Plan is announced to help rebuild Europe — E. Spreckmeester (also credited as "I. Spreekmeester"), published Economic Cooperation Administration, Public domain, source
• The Second Vatican Council opens in Rome — Peter Geymayer, Public domain, source
• The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• The Wall Street Crash triggers the Great Depression — Associated Press, Public domain, source

Protest and Activism

• Amnesty International is founded in London — Gunnar Bach Pedersen, Public domain, source
• Gandhi leads the Salt March to the sea at Dandi — Yann (talk), Public domain, source
• Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat in Montgomery — Gene Herrick for the Associated Press; restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Shipyard strikes in Gdańsk give birth to Poland's Solidarity union — Ratoncito Perez, CC0, source
• Students and workers bring France to a standstill in May protests — Espencat, Public domain, source
• The peace symbol is designed for Britain's nuclear disarmament campaign — Marko Kafé, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The People Power Revolution topples Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines — Representative Perci Cendaña, Public domain, source
• Two million people form the Baltic Way human chain — Latvijas Banka, Public domain, source
• Wangari Maathai founds the Green Belt Movement in Kenya — Department of the Interior. National Business Center. Administrative Operations Directorate. Division of Employee and Public Services. Creative Communications Branch. Photographic Services. 2000, Public domain, source

Royal headlines

• A huge fire badly damages Windsor Castle — Edward Thomas, Public domain, source
• Charles III is crowned king at Westminster Abbey — White House, Public domain, source
• Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles in Windsor — Poliphilo, CC0, source
• Prince George, a future heir to the British throne, is born — Maggie Jones, Public domain, source
• Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Prince William marries Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey — Robert-brook, CC0, source
• Princess Diana dies after a car crash in Paris — Международная_Леонардо-премия_17.jpg: Nick Parfjonov derivative work: Surtsicna, Public domain, source
• Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee — Donald McKague, Public domain, source
• Queen Elizabeth II dies at Balmoral after a record-long reign — Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain, source

Monarchs around the world

• Albert II becomes King of the Belgians after his brother's death — Koupip, CC0, source
• Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden marries Daniel Westling — Holger Motzkau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander marries Máxima Zorreguieta — Unknown authorUnknown author, Picture Report / RVD, CC0, source
• Felipe VI becomes King of Spain after his father abdicates — The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, source
• Frederik X becomes King of Denmark as Queen Margrethe steps down — Ole Ryhl Olsson, CC0, source
• Henri becomes Grand Duke of Luxembourg — Schnékert, Public domain, source
• Naruhito ascends Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne — BPMI Setpres, Public domain, source
• Nepal abolishes its monarchy and becomes a republic — Karrattul, Public domain, source
• Thailand's King Bhumibol dies after a record-long reign — Harry Pot / Anefo, CC0, source

Europe's big moments

• Border checks disappear between the first Schengen countries — Hoebele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• British voters choose to leave the EU in a referendum — Unknown, CC BY 2.0, source
• East and West Germany are reunited — Rieste, CC0, source
• Euro banknotes and coins go into circulation — Bericht, CC0, source
• Ten countries join the EU in its largest-ever expansion — Влада на Република Северна Македонија, Public domain, source
• The European Union is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — ArtemisiaGentileschiFan, CC0, source
• The Lisbon Treaty comes into force, reforming how the EU works — Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, source
• The Maastricht Treaty is signed, founding the European Union — User:Mateus2019, CC BY 2.0 de, source
• The United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union — DaniKauf, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Joining the euro

• Croatia adopts the euro and joins the Schengen area — European Commission, CC BY 4.0, source
• Estonia becomes the first former Soviet republic to adopt the euro — EBB at English Wikipedia, CC0, source
• Greece adopts the euro — Tobi2006, CC0, source
• Latvia swaps the lats for the euro — Laimonis Šēnbergs, Public domain, source
• Lithuania adopts the euro, completing the Baltic trio — Lietuvas Bankas, Public domain, source
• Malta and Cyprus switch to the euro — Melitikus (talk), Public domain, source
• Slovakia replaces the koruna with the euro — Wizzard, Public domain, source
• Slovenia becomes the first former communist country to use the euro — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• The euro is launched as an electronic currency in eleven countries — Ypsilonatshared, Public domain, source

The EU through the years

• Austria, Finland and Sweden join the European Union — Markus Kauppinen, CC0, source
• Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union — Bistarac6, CC0, source
• French and Dutch voters reject a proposed EU constitution — Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Greece receives its first bailout from the EU and IMF — Julian Lupyan, CC0, source
• Irish voters reject the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum — Ridiculopathy, CC0, source
• Norwegian voters reject membership of the EU in a referendum — Leonhard Lenz, CC0, source
• Romania and Bulgaria join the European Union — Chris Greenberg, Public domain, source
• Ukraine is granted official candidate status to join the EU — Martin832, CC0, source
• Ursula von der Leyen is elected first female head of the EU Commission — United States Department of Defense (DoD) photo by Sgt. Aaron Hostutler, U.S. Marine Corps, Public domain, source

Elections that shook the world

• Angela Merkel becomes Germany's first female chancellor — Christoph Braun, CC0, source
• Barack Obama is elected the first Black president of the US — Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• Donald Trump wins a second, non-consecutive term as US president — https://www.flickr.com/people/126057486@N04, Public domain, source
• Emmanuel Macron becomes the youngest president of France — Заеднички изјави за медиуми пред работната вечера во Париз со претседателот на Франција Емануел Макрон, CC0, source
• Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump in the US presidential election — The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, source
• Narendra Modi wins India's general election and becomes prime minister — Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela is elected president in South Africa's first free vote — Maureen Keating, Public domain, source
• Tony Blair's Labour wins a landslide UK general election — Paul Morse, Public domain, source
• Vladimir Putin is elected president of Russia for the first time — The original uploader was Dhwani1989 at English Wikipedia., White House photo by Paul Morse, Public domain, source

American politics

• Bill Clinton is elected president of the United States — Bob McNeely, The White House[1], Public domain, source
• Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton to win the US presidency — Shealeah Craighead, Public domain, source
• Donald Trump is impeached by the House for the first time — Otto Giers, Public domain, source
• George W. Bush is re-elected, defeating John Kerry — Series: Photographs Related to the George W. Bush Administration, 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009 Collection: Records of the White House Photo Office (George W. Bush Administration), 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009, Public domain, source
• George W. Bush wins the presidency after a disputed Florida recount — Eric Draper, Public domain, source
• Obama signs the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare — Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• President Barack Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — White House (Pete Souza) / Maison Blanche (Pete Souza), Public domain, source
• Supporters of Donald Trump storm the US Capitol — USCapitol, Public domain, source
• The House of Representatives impeaches President Bill Clinton — George Munger, Public domain, source

Landmark court rulings

• Bernie Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison for fraud — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Donald Trump becomes the first former US president convicted of a crime — Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Public domain, source
• India's Supreme Court decriminalizes homosexuality — Government of India, Public domain, source
• O.J. Simpson is acquitted at the end of a televised trial — Photographer uncredited, Public domain, source
• The EU's top court establishes a 'right to be forgotten' online — Luxofluxo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The US Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage nationwide — NPS/Tom Engberg, Public domain, source
• The US Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade — John Brighenti, CC BY 2.0, source
• The US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling lifts campaign spending limits — Unknown author, Public domain, source
• UK Supreme Court rules Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament unlawful — Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Justice on the world stage

• Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladić is convicted of genocide — anonimous, Public domain, source
• Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is arrested in London — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Liberia's Charles Taylor is convicted by a UN-backed war crimes court — Plymouth County Sheriff's Office, Public domain, source
• Radovan Karadžić is convicted of genocide by a UN tribunal — Yugoslav and Bosnian police, Public domain, source
• Saddam Hussein is convicted by an Iraqi court — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Slobodan Milošević is handed over to the tribunal in The Hague — U.S. Air Force, Public domain, source
• The International Criminal Court begins its work — Press Information Department, Public domain, source
• The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Putin — Srsnik at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The UN sets up a war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia — w:User:BorgQueen, Public domain, source

Natural disasters

• A major earthquake strikes Nepal, damaging Kathmandu's old temples — Bijay Chaurasia, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• A powerful earthquake devastates Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince — U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Daniel C. Pearson, Public domain, source
• An earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, causing the Fukushima nuclear crisis — kirakirayuji, CC0, source
• An Indian Ocean tsunami strikes coasts from Indonesia to Africa — David Rydevik (email: david.rydevikgmail.com), Stockholm, Sweden., Public domain, source
• Hurricane Katrina floods New Orleans — AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi, Public domain, source
• Hurricane Sandy floods New York City's subway tunnels — Official Navy Page from United States of America U.S. Navy photo/U.S. Navy, Public domain, source
• Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts, cooling the global climate — Photo by T. J. Casadevall, U.S. Geological Survey., Public domain, source
• Powerful earthquakes strike southern Turkey and northern Syria — Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Public domain, source
• The Great Hanshin earthquake devastates Kobe, Japan — No machine-readable author provided. Marubatsu assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source

Forces of nature

• A massive earthquake strikes China's Sichuan province — Courtesy of Miniwiki.org, Public domain, source
• A record-breaking heat wave grips Europe in August — Climate Prediction Center of NOAA, Public domain, source
• Ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano grounds flights across Europe — NASA Earth Observatory, Public domain, source
• Flash floods devastate the Ahr valley in Germany and parts of Belgium — Martin Seifert (The original uploader was CnndrBrbr at German Wikipedia..), CC0, source
• Flash floods sweep through the Valencia region of Spain — MCAE Consulting, CC0, source
• Hurricane Mitch causes catastrophic floods in Central America — NASA, NOAA, Public domain, source
• The Elbe and Danube burst their banks, flooding Dresden and Prague — photura, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms recorded, hits the Philippines — NASA, LAADS Web, HDF File processed by Supportstorm, Public domain, source
• Wildfires sweep through the Los Angeles area, including Pacific Palisades — Pacific Southwest Forest Service, USDA from USA, Public domain, source

Outbreaks and pandemics

• A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak hits British farms — J. A. House and C. A. House, Public domain, source
• Britain links mad cow disease to humans, and the EU bans British beef — User Robert Merkel on en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Hong Kong culls all its chickens after the first human bird flu cases — Luigi Serena, Public domain, source
• The WHO declares an Ebola epidemic in West Africa an emergency — Photo Credit: Dr. Frederick Murphy Content Providers(s): CDC/ Dr. Frederick A. Murphy, Public domain, source
• The WHO declares an mpox outbreak a global health emergency — Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regnery, Public domain, source
• The WHO declares COVID-19 a global pandemic — Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM, Public domain, source
• The WHO declares swine flu (H1N1) a pandemic — NIH Image Gallery, Public domain, source
• The WHO declares the Zika virus a global health emergency — James Gathany, Public domain, source
• West Nile virus appears in New York, its first outbreak in the Americas — Volkmar Becher, CC0, source

Climate agreements

• Al Gore and the IPCC share the Nobel Peace Prize — Unknown photographerUnknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Greta Thunberg starts her school strike outside Sweden's parliament — Jorge Saturno, CC0, source
• Nearly every nation signs up to the Paris climate agreement — Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
• The COP26 climate summit is held in Glasgow — President of the Republic of Armenia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Copenhagen climate summit ends without a binding deal — Orf3us, CC0, source
• The IPCC publishes its first assessment report on climate change — 美国之音/汤惠芸, Public domain, source
• The Kyoto Protocol finally enters into force — Syced, CC0, source
• The Kyoto Protocol on cutting greenhouse gases is adopted — Hahifuheho, CC0, source
• World leaders meet at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro — Celso Meira, Public domain, source

Women in power

• Claudia Sheinbaum is elected Mexico's first female president — Presidencia de Guatemala, Public domain, source
• Édith Cresson becomes the first female prime minister of France — European Communities, 1995 / EC - Audiovisual Service, CC BY 4.0, source
• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is sworn in as Africa's first elected female president — PMO Barbados, Public domain, source
• Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy's first female prime minister — The White House, Public domain, source
• Julia Gillard becomes Australia's first female prime minister — Lawrence Jackson, Public domain, source
• Madeleine Albright becomes the first female US Secretary of State — United States Department of State, Public domain, source
• Mary Robinson is elected Ireland's first female president — U.S. federal government, Public domain, source
• Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female Speaker of the US House — John Harrington, Public domain, source
• Theresa May becomes Britain's second female prime minister — Andrew Scheer, CC0, source

Germany after reunification

• Friedrich Merz is elected chancellor in a second round of voting — The White House, Public domain, source
• Gerhard Schröder becomes chancellor, ending the Helmut Kohl era — Birkho, Public domain, source
• Germany decides to phase out nuclear power after Fukushima — Helmlechner, CC0, source
• Germany switches off its last three nuclear power plants — Helmlechner, CC0, source
• Merkel opens Germany's borders to refugees: 'Wir schaffen das' — Anton Pree, CC BY 3.0, source
• Olaf Scholz succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor — Nebojša Tejić, Public domain, source
• The Bundestag votes to move Germany's government from Bonn to Berlin — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The far-right AfD enters the Bundestag for the first time — Thomasrichter71, Public domain, source
• The last Russian troops leave eastern Germany — Барвенковский (фото), Kalnroze (файл)., Public domain, source

Britain's political headlines

• A new Scottish Parliament meets for the first time — Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Boris Johnson becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom — Office of U.S. Ambassador to U.K., Public domain, source
• David Cameron and Nick Clegg form a coalition government — Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
• Gordon Brown succeeds Tony Blair as prime minister — White House photo by Chris Greenberg, Public domain, source
• Keir Starmer leads Labour to a landslide election victory — President Biden, Public domain, source
• Liz Truss becomes the shortest-serving UK prime minister — Office of U.S. Ambassador to U.K., Public domain, source
• Margaret Thatcher resigns as British prime minister — Marion S. Trikosko, Public domain, source
• Scotland votes to remain part of the UK in an independence referendum — Cosma Seini, CC0, source
• The Good Friday Agreement brings peace to Northern Ireland — Johndmcdonald, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Russia after the Soviet Union

• Boris Yeltsin resigns on New Year's Eve, handing power to Putin — David Scull, Public domain, source
• Opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in an Arctic prison — Gesanonstein, CC0, source
• Russia and Georgia fight a short war over South Ossetia — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Russia annexes the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine — VOA, Public domain, source
• Russia defaults on its debt and the ruble collapses — National Museum of American History, Public domain, source
• Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Seiko at Croatian Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Tanks fire on Moscow's White House during a constitutional crisis — Own work, Public domain, source
• The Russian submarine Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Soviet Union is dissolved and Gorbachev resigns — White House Photographic Office, Public domain, source

Middle East headlines

• A Camp David peace summit ends without an agreement — Ehud Barak by Narkis, Public domain, source
• Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak resigns after mass protests — Ahmed Abd El-Fatah from Egypt, CC BY 2.0, source
• Hamas launches a surprise attack on Israel, sparking a war in Gaza — Dr. Zachi Evenor, CC BY 2.0, source
• Iran and world powers agree a deal on Iran's nuclear program — Priwo, Public domain, source
• Israel withdraws its settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip — The Great Mule of Eupatoria, CC0, source
• Israel, the UAE and Bahrain sign the Abraham Accords — The White House, Public domain, source
• Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated in Tel Aviv — Sgt. Robert G. Clambus, Public domain, source
• Rabin and Arafat shake hands on the Oslo Accords at the White House — Vince Musi, Public domain, source
• Syria's Assad regime falls to a rapid rebel offensive — Samosyr at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Conflicts that shaped an era

• A US-led coalition drives Iraq out of Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm — US Air Force, Public domain, source
• A US-led coalition invades Afghanistan and topples the Taliban — Jim Garamone, Public domain, source
• Iraq invades its neighbor Kuwait — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• NATO launches air strikes on Yugoslavia over Kosovo — Julo, Public domain, source
• Protests in Syria escalate into a long civil war — Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Dayton Agreement ends the war in Bosnia — NATO, Public domain, source
• The siege of Sarajevo begins during the Bosnian War — Map H from Balkan Battlegrounds: A Military History of the Yugoslav Conflict, 1990-1995. Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Russian and European Analysis. Washington, D.C., Public domain, source
• The Taliban retake Kabul as US troops withdraw from Afghanistan — U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Isaiah Campbell, Public domain, source
• US and British forces invade Iraq — Unknown U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, Public domain, source

Asia's big headlines

• Britain hands Hong Kong back to China — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• China announces the end of its one-child policy — Jan Kranendonk (https://www.jankranendonk.nl), CC0, source
• China joins the World Trade Organization — World Trade Organization from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meet at a summit in Singapore — Shealeah Craighead, Public domain, source
• East Timor becomes an independent nation — drawn by user:J. Patrick Fischer, Public domain, source
• Indonesia's president Suharto resigns after mass protests — State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia, Public domain, source
• Kim Jong-un becomes North Korea's leader after his father's death — White House, Public domain, source
• Myanmar's military seizes power in a coup — NASA Astronauts, Public domain, source
• Portugal hands Macau back to China — US Department of State, Public domain, source

India in the headlines

• India abruptly withdraws its largest banknotes in a surprise demonetization — Sohel Patel, CC0, source
• India carries out nuclear tests at Pokhran — Archan dave, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• India introduces a nationwide Goods and Services Tax (GST) — British India, CC0, source
• India opens up its economy with sweeping liberalization reforms — Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• India overtakes China as the world's most populous country — Dasprevailz, Public domain, source
• India revokes the special status of Jammu and Kashmir — Amolmore8999, CC0, source
• Manmohan Singh becomes India's first Sikh prime minister — The White House from Washington, DC. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• Pratibha Patil becomes India's first female president — Unknown, CC0, source
• Telangana is carved out of Andhra Pradesh as a new state — Photocurry, CC0, source

Africa's turning points

• Eritrea becomes independent from Ethiopia — CIA World Factbook, Public domain, source
• Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed wins the Nobel Peace Prize — VOA / Baba Makeri, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela dies, and leaders from around the world gather to honor him — White House Photograph Office, Clinton Administration, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela signs South Africa's new democratic constitution — Mihi tr, CC BY 4.0, source
• Nelson Mandela walks free after decades in prison — Credit: George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Public domain, source
• Nigeria returns to civilian rule after years of military government — Helene C. Stikkel, Public domain, source
• Robert Mugabe resigns as president of Zimbabwe — U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jesse B. Awalt/Released, Public domain, source
• South Sudan becomes the world's newest independent country — USAID Africa Bureau, Public domain, source
• The African Union is launched, replacing the OAU — Wang Guansen for Xinhua, Public domain, source

Latin America in the news

• Chile returns to democracy as Pinochet hands over the presidency — Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Colombia signs a peace deal with the FARC rebels — File:Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Juan Manuel Santos.jpg: Image Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Juan Manuel Santos (Wilson Dias/ABr) derivative work: Coronades (talk), CC BY 3.0 br, source
• Fidel Castro steps down and Raúl Castro becomes Cuba's president — Archivo de Granma, Public domain, source
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is elected president of Brazil — The White House, Public domain, source
• NAFTA creates a free trade zone between Mexico, the US and Canada — White House Photograph Office Ralph Alswang, Public domain, source
• The United States and Cuba restore diplomatic relations — U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, source
• The United States hands control of the Panama Canal to Panama — Gordon Panoramic Photo Co., Public domain, source
• Thirty-three trapped miners are rescued in Chile's Atacama Desert — Diode, Public domain, source
• Vicente Fox wins Mexico's presidency, ending decades of PRI rule — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Faith in the headlines

• Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected Pope Benedict XVI — Series: Photographs Related to the George W. Bush Administration, 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009 Collection: Records of the White House Photo Office (George W. Bush Administration), 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009, Public domain, source
• Jorge Mario Bergoglio becomes Pope Francis, the first pope from the Americas — Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• Mother Teresa dies in Kolkata — Manfredo Ferrari — File:Mutter Teresa von Kalkutta.jpg The White House/Executive Office of the President of the United States — File:Rose Carter, official color photo, 1977-cropped.jpg, Public domain, source
• Mother Teresa is beatified by Pope John Paul II — Post of Albania, Public domain, source
• Mother Teresa is canonized as a saint in Rome — Ordnance Survey, Public domain, source
• Pope Francis becomes the first pope to address the US Congress — Office of Kevin McCarthy, Public domain, source
• Popes John Paul II and John XXIII are declared saints — De Agostini Editore, Public domain, source
• Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope — Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Public domain, source
• The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Headlines of the Nineties

• A truck bomb destroys a federal building in Oklahoma City — Nyttend, Public domain, source
• Czechoslovakia peacefully splits into the Czech Republic and Slovakia — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Hugo Chávez becomes president of Venezuela — Vicepresidencia de Venezuela, Public domain, source
• Riots break out in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict — U.S. Army, Public domain, source
• Slovenia and Croatia declare independence from Yugoslavia — CIA World Factbook, Public domain, source
• Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa is elected president of Poland — White House photo by David Valdez, Public domain, source
• The ferry MS Estonia sinks in a storm on the Baltic Sea — Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Taliban capture Kabul and take control of Afghanistan — George Alfred Croly, Public domain, source
• The Thai baht collapses, triggering the Asian financial crisis — Suntuniustin, Public domain, source

Headlines of the Noughties

• A pilot safely lands a passenger jet on New York's Hudson River — Photo by Chris Gardner, USACE New York District Public Affairs, Public domain, source
• An Air France Concorde crashes shortly after takeoff near Paris — Mathious Ier, CC0, source
• Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated — SRA Gerald B. Johnson, United States Department of Defense, Public domain, source
• Kosovo declares independence from Serbia — Bdx, CC0, source
• North Korea carries out its first nuclear test — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Terrorist attacks destroy the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center — Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres, Public domain, source
• The US opens a detention camp at Guantanamo Bay — United States Navy Petty Officer First Class Creator:Michael W. Pendergrass, Public domain, source
• Ukraine's Orange Revolution protests overturn a disputed election — No machine-readable author provided. Oleh Petriv assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• US forces capture Saddam Hussein near Tikrit — US DoD Photo, Public domain, source

Money makes headlines

• Black Wednesday: the British pound crashes out of the ERM — Spudgun67, CC0, source
• ECB chief Mario Draghi vows to do 'whatever it takes' to save the euro — Grunpfnul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Energy giant Enron files for bankruptcy amid an accounting scandal — Enron Corporation, Public domain, source
• Lehman Brothers collapses, deepening the global financial crisis — David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• S&P strips the United States of its top AAA credit rating — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• Savers queue outside Northern Rock in the first UK bank run in generations — Kaihsu Tai, Public domain, source
• Swiss bank UBS takes over its troubled rival Credit Suisse — Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
• The dot-com bubble bursts and tech stocks plunge — NASA Headquarters / NASA/Bill Ingalls, Public domain, source

Gripping headlines

• Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after a ship strike — David Adams / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Public domain, source
• Divers rescue a youth soccer team trapped in a flooded Thai cave — U.S. Air Force Capt. Jessica Tait 353rd Special Operations Group Public Affairs, Public domain, source
• Fire destroys the roof and spire of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris — LEVRIER Guillaume, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Fire engulfs the Grenfell Tower block of flats in London — Robin Sones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanishes over the Indian Ocean — Alf van Beem, CC0, source
• The container ship Ever Given gets stuck and blocks the Suez Canal — NASA JSC ISS image library, Public domain, source
• The cruise ship Costa Concordia capsizes off the Italian coast — Lpeax, CC0, source
• The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Titan submersible implodes on a dive to the Titanic wreck — United States Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Melissa Le, Public domain, source

Headlines of the Twenty-Tens

• Edward Snowden reveals secret mass surveillance by the NSA — National Security Agency, Public domain, source
• Mass protests against an extradition bill fill Hong Kong's streets — VOA, Public domain, source
• Osama bin Laden is killed by US special forces in Pakistan — Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• The #MeToo movement spreads around the world on social media — Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0, source
• The Cambridge Analytica scandal over Facebook user data breaks — Facebook Inc., Public domain, source
• The Panama Papers leak exposes offshore finances of the powerful — I took the photo myself. Carlos Colina, jewbask@gmail.com, Public domain, source
• Volkswagen admits cheating on diesel emissions tests — Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• WikiLeaks begins publishing secret US diplomatic cables — Julian Assange & Martina Haris, Public domain, source
• Xi Jinping becomes leader of China's Communist Party — 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀, Public domain, source

Nobel Peace Prize winners

• Imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi wins the Nobel Peace Prize — VOA, Public domain, source
• Jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo wins the Nobel Peace Prize — Cybularny, CC0, source
• Kenya's Wangari Maathai becomes the first African woman to win the Peace Prize — Department of the Interior. National Business Center. Administrative Operations Directorate. Division of Employee and Public Services. Creative Communications Branch. Photographic Services. 2000, Public domain, source
• Malala Yousafzai becomes the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate — United States Senate - The Office of Kamala Harris, Public domain, source
• Mikhail Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize — White House Photographic Office, Public domain, source
• Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank win the Nobel Peace Prize — World Economic Forum, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi wins the Nobel Peace Prize while under house arrest — Pete Souza, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk share the Nobel Peace Prize — Secretary_Clinton_Meets_With_Former_South_African_President_F.W._de_Klerk.jpg: U.S. Department of State from United States derivative work: January (talk), Public domain, source
• The United Nations and Kofi Annan share the Nobel Peace Prize — US Mission in Geneva, Public domain, source

World Cup Winners

• Argentina beats France on penalties in Qatar to win the World Cup — BugWarp, CC0, source
• Brazil wins a third World Cup and keeps the Jules Rimet Trophy for good — Abel Lafleur, Public domain, source
• England wins the World Cup at Wembley after extra time against West Germany — Panini, Public domain, source
• Hosts France win their first World Cup, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final — Ilan Costica, CC0, source
• Mario Götze's extra-time goal wins the World Cup for Germany — Rodrigo Silveira Camargo (RodrigoCamargo on commons or RodrigoCamargo on en.wikipedia), Public domain, source
• Paolo Rossi's goals lead Italy to World Cup victory in Spain — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Spain wins its first World Cup, beating the Netherlands in the final — FanHelenaPaparizou, Public domain, source
• Uruguay wins the first World Cup on home soil — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• West Germany stuns Hungary in the 'Miracle of Bern' World Cup final — Liebig Milano - serie n°289 LEMCO, Public domain, source

World Cup Hosts

• Argentina wins the World Cup on home soil for the first time — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Italy hosts the World Cup and wins it for the first time — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Italy wins the World Cup in Berlin after Zidane is sent off in the final — Leonhard Lenz, CC0, source
• Japan and South Korea co-host the first World Cup held in Asia — Syced, CC0, source
• Mexico becomes the first country to host the World Cup twice — Post of Albania, Public domain, source
• Russia hosts the World Cup, with the final at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium — Kucharek, Public domain, source
• The United States hosts the World Cup, with the final at the Rose Bowl — William J. Clinton Presidential Library, National Archives, Public domain, source
• Uruguay silences the Maracanã to win the World Cup in Brazil — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• West Germany hosts the World Cup and lifts the brand-new FIFA trophy — Bert Verhoeff / Anefo, CC0, source

Kings of Europe

• Antonín Panenka's chipped penalty wins the Euro for Czechoslovakia — Jiricekpavlicek, Public domain, source
• Greece stuns hosts Portugal to win the European Championship — Stelios Tsaousidis, stelios@acebit.com, Public domain, source
• Hosts Spain win the European Championship in Madrid — Ron Kroon / Anefo, CC0, source
• Late replacement Denmark wins the European Championship — my own picture, Public domain, source
• Marco van Basten's famous volley seals Euro glory for the Netherlands — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Michel Platini scores nine goals as France wins the Euro at home — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Portugal wins the Euro in France, the country's first major trophy — Pauline_17 from Pixabay, CC0, source
• Spain beats England in Berlin to win a record fourth Euro — Biso, CC BY 4.0, source
• The Soviet Union wins the first European Nations' Cup — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

World-Record Transfers

• Alan Shearer joins Newcastle from Blackburn for a world-record fee — MattM4 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Cristiano Ronaldo joins Real Madrid from Manchester United for £80 million — Alejandro Ramos, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Diego Maradona joins Barcelona from Boca Juniors for a world-record fee — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Gareth Bale joins Real Madrid from Tottenham for a world-record fee — Melenn14, CC0, source
• Johan Cruyff joins Barcelona from Ajax for a world-record fee — Koen Suyk / Anefo, CC0, source
• Luís Figo crosses from Barcelona to rivals Real Madrid for a record fee — Žan Kolman, Public domain, source
• Neymar joins PSG from Barcelona for a world-record fee — Supporterhéninois, CC0, source
• Ronaldo leaves Barcelona for Inter Milan in a world-record deal — Aloba Øyvind Vik, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Zinedine Zidane joins Real Madrid from Juventus for a world-record fee — Hadi Abyar, CC BY 4.0, source

European Cup Finals

• Celtic become the first British club to win the European Cup — Anefo, CC0, source
• Chelsea beats Bayern on penalties in Munich to win the Champions League — Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
• Liverpool comes back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in Istanbul — Jprw, CC0, source
• Manchester City beats Inter in Istanbul to win its first Champions League — Ridiculopathy, CC0, source
• Manchester United score twice in stoppage time to beat Bayern in the final — Mutari 09:33, 21 September 2007 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Marseille becomes the first French club to win the Champions League — Le Miroir des sports, Public domain, source
• Real Madrid beats Atlético in Lisbon to clinch its long-awaited tenth European Cup — El Coleccionista de Instantes Fotografía & Video, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Real Madrid wins the first European Cup, beating Reims in Paris — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Ballon d'Or Winners

• Cristiano Ronaldo wins his first Ballon d'Or as a Manchester United player — Ray Booysen, CC BY 2.0, source
• George Weah becomes the first African player to win the Ballon d'Or — U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia, Public domain, source
• Johan Cruyff wins the Ballon d'Or for the first time — Bart Molendijk / Anefo, CC0, source
• Lev Yashin becomes the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or — Russian Post, Publishing and Trade Centre "Marka", Public domain, source
• Lionel Messi wins a record eighth Ballon d'Or — Barcaforever69, CC0, source
• Luka Modrić wins the Ballon d'Or, ending a long Messi–Ronaldo streak — Hainotdeptrai, CC0, source
• Michel Platini wins the first of three Ballons d'Or in a row — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Spain's Rodri wins the Ballon d'Or after a Euro-winning summer — Rolandhino1, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Stanley Matthews wins the very first Ballon d'Or — Harry Pot for Anefo ]] NL-HaNA / neg. stroken, 1945-1989, CC0, source

Founding the Giants

• Chelsea FC is founded at a pub opposite Stamford Bridge — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• FC Bayern Munich is founded — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Joan Gamper founds FC Barcelona — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Liverpool FC is founded to play at Anfield after Everton moves out — FYI2023, CC0, source
• Madrid Football Club, the future Real Madrid, is founded — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Paris Saint-Germain is founded — fr:User:Clio64, Public domain, source
• Railway workers found Newton Heath, the club that becomes Manchester United — Ank Kumar, CC0, source
• Sheffield FC, now the world's oldest football club, is founded — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Students in Turin found Juventus — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Changing the Rules

• Football's lawmakers approve goal-line technology — Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Goalkeepers are banned from handling a deliberate back-pass — Robo Michalec, CC0, source
• Substitutes are allowed in the English Football League for the first time — Samson Ssemakadde, CC0, source
• The Football Association is founded in a London tavern and writes its rules — John Nixon (c.1750-1818), Public domain, source
• The offside rule changes from three defenders to two — Hayden Schiff from Cincinnati, USA, CC BY 2.0, source
• The penalty kick is introduced to the Laws of the Game — Mr.ちゅらさん, CC0, source
• Video Assistant Referees (VAR) are used at a World Cup for the first time — ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Yellow and red cards are used at a World Cup for the first time — de:Benutzer:Christian Spitschka, Public domain, source

The Women's Game

• Ada Hegerberg wins the first women's Ballon d'Or — Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Brandi Chastain's penalty wins the Women's World Cup for the USA — US Embassy Australia, Public domain, source
• China hosts the first FIFA Women's World Cup, won by the USA — IDontHaveSkype, CC0, source
• Dick, Kerr Ladies draw a crowd of 53,000 at Goodison Park — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• England's FA bans women's teams from playing on its members' grounds — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Japan beats the USA on penalties to win the Women's World Cup — The original uploader was Thewomensgame at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Spain wins the Women's World Cup in Sydney — The original uploader was Alexormes at English Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• The English FA lifts its ban on women's football — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Messi and Ronaldo

• Cristiano Ronaldo joins Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon — Pauline_17 from Pixabay, CC0, source
• Cristiano Ronaldo moves from Real Madrid to Juventus — Gianluca Scarfò, Public domain, source
• Cristiano Ronaldo wins the Champions League with Manchester United in Moscow — Kucharek, Public domain, source
• Lionel Messi joins Inter Miami in Major League Soccer — Cuban Boy, CC0, source
• Lionel Messi makes his official debut for Barcelona — Mutari 17:13, 19 September 2007 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Messi leaves Barcelona and signs for Paris Saint-Germain — Bigmatbasket, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Messi scores a header as Barcelona beats Manchester United in the final in Rome — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Messi scores a record 91 goals in a calendar year — Addesolen, CC0, source
• Messi's Argentina retains the Copa América in the United States — ChaChaFut, CC0, source

The Life of Pelé

• A teenage Pelé makes his debut for Santos — Emerson.figueira, Public domain, source
• Brazil retains the World Cup in Chile despite an injured Pelé — Janitoalevic, CC0, source
• Pelé becomes Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport — John Mathew Smith from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Pelé plays his farewell match, one half each for Cosmos and Santos — Ricardo Alfieri, Jr., Public domain, source
• Pelé scores his thousandth goal with a penalty at the Maracanã — ianjvoos, CC0, source
• Pelé scores on his international debut for Brazil, against Argentina — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Pelé scores twice in the final as Brazil wins its first World Cup — Scanpix, Public domain, source
• Pelé shares a FIFA award for the greatest player of all time with Maradona — Ricardo Alfieri, Public domain, source
• Pelé signs for the New York Cosmos — Ricardo Alfieri, Jr., Public domain, source

Diego Maradona

• Argentina declares national mourning after Diego Maradona dies — UrbanShift, Public domain, source
• Diego Maradona makes his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Maradona captains Argentina to the World Youth Championship in Japan — Ricardo Alfieri, Public domain, source
• Maradona coaches Argentina at the World Cup in South Africa — Maradona_as_Coach_2010.jpg: babasteve derivative work: Vssun (talk), CC BY 2.0, source
• Maradona joins Napoli from Barcelona for a world-record fee — Pochos, Public domain, source
• Maradona leads Napoli to its first Italian league title — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Maradona scores the 'Hand of God' goal against England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Maradona's Argentina loses the World Cup final to West Germany in Rome — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Napoli wins the UEFA Cup with Maradona as captain — Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, source

English Football Milestones

• Alex Ferguson becomes manager of Manchester United — Øyvind Vik, Public domain, source
• Arsenal's 'Invincibles' finish a league season unbeaten — siarach (talk), Public domain, source
• Blackpool beats Bolton 4-3 in the 'Matthews Final' at Wembley — Harry Pot for Anefo ]] NL-HaNA / neg. stroken, 1945-1989, CC0, source
• Leicester City wins the Premier League as 5,000-to-1 outsiders — DougPR, CC0, source
• Manchester United's 'Busby Babes' are struck by the Munich air disaster — Aloba Øyvind Vik, Public domain, source
• Sergio Agüero's last-minute goal wins Manchester City the title — Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Football League, the world's first league competition, kicks off — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Premier League kicks off its first season — Aloba Øyvind Vik, Public domain, source
• Wanderers win the first FA Cup final at the Kennington Oval — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

South American Glory

• Argentina wins the Copa América in Ecuador — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Brazil wins the Copa América at home, beating Peru at the Maracanã — Werner Haberkorn/Fotolabor/Museu Paulista da USP, Public domain, source
• Colombia wins the Copa América on home soil — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Hosts Chile win their first Copa América on penalties — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Lionel Messi wins his first major trophy with Argentina, the Copa América — Casa Escasany de Buenos Aires (trophy) Hazaña17 (photo), Public domain, source
• Peñarol wins the first Copa Libertadores — Da dinges, Public domain, source
• Uruguay wins a record 15th Copa América in Argentina — Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, source
• Uruguay wins the first South American Championship, today's Copa América — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Uruguay wins the Olympic football tournament in Paris — Frederic (www.rugby-pioneers.com ), Public domain, source

Football Goes Global

• Debutants Senegal beat holders France in the World Cup opener — Botham1983, Public domain, source
• Egypt becomes the first African team to play at a World Cup — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Egypt wins the first Africa Cup of Nations — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Japan's professional J.League plays its first season — ある男, CC0, source
• Morocco becomes the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal — Mohammed Ayman Nechchad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Nigeria wins Olympic football gold in Atlanta — Original: Chensiyuan / Derivative work: Danyele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• North Korea stuns Italy at the World Cup in England — Chemical Engineer, Public domain, source
• Roger Milla's Cameroon reaches the World Cup quarterfinals — Jmex60, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• South Africa hosts the first World Cup on African soil — NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Public domain, source

Legendary Managers

• Arsène Wenger is appointed manager of Arsenal — Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Bill Shankly becomes manager of Liverpool — FYI2023, CC0, source
• Brian Clough lasts just 44 days as manager of Leeds United — Nez202, Public domain, source
• José Mourinho's Inter Milan wins the treble — Hilmi Hacaloğlu, Public domain, source
• Jürgen Klopp becomes Liverpool manager — Fotosaar at German Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Matt Busby takes charge of Manchester United — Eskil Malmberg, Public domain, source
• Pep Guardiola is promoted to head coach of Barcelona — Harald Bischoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Rinus Michels becomes coach of Ajax and builds 'Total Football' — Rob Bogaerts for Anefo, CC0, source
• Sir Alex Ferguson retires as Manchester United manager — Øyvind Vik, Public domain, source

European Dynasties

• AC Milan beats Benfica at Wembley to become Italy's first European champions — Rolls Press / Popperfoto / Getty Images, Public domain, source
• Ajax wins the first of three straight European Cups — Rob Croes / Anefo, CC0, source
• Bayern Munich wins its first European Cup after a replayed final — Panini Group, Public domain, source
• Benfica wins the European Cup, the first winner other than Real Madrid — Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Grupo Sport Lisboa), Public domain, source
• Borussia Dortmund beats Juventus to win the Champions League — Marvin Ronsdorf marvin_ronsdorf, CC0, source
• Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest win the European Cup — The original uploader was Nffcchris at English Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• Feyenoord becomes the first Dutch club to win the European Cup — Author and original uploader was ART at nl.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Liverpool wins its first European Cup, beating Mönchengladbach in Rome — Uploaded to Wikipedia by Karls07 Transferred to Commons by User:Divy Cropped by User:Ultra7, Public domain, source
• Ronald Koeman's free kick wins Barcelona's first European Cup at Wembley — Marcel Antonisse / Anefo, CC0, source

El Clásico

• A pig's head is thrown at Luís Figo on his return to Camp Nou — Žan Kolman, Public domain, source
• Alfredo Di Stéfano joins Real Madrid after a tug-of-war with Barcelona — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Barcelona knocks Real Madrid out of the European Cup for the first time — Jo, Public domain, source
• Barcelona thrashes Real Madrid 6-2 at the Bernabéu — Mutari 15:45, 5 March 2008 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Johan Cruyff's Barcelona wins 5-0 at the Bernabéu — Rob Mieremet / Anefo, CC0, source
• Messi holds up his shirt after a last-minute winner at the Bernabéu — Addesolen, CC0, source
• Real Madrid fans applaud Ronaldinho after his two goals at the Bernabéu — No machine-readable author provided. Aguijarroo assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• Real Madrid opens the stadium later named after Santiago Bernabéu — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

German Football

• Bayer Leverkusen wins the Bundesliga without losing a match — Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
• Bayern beats Dortmund at Wembley in an all-German Champions League final — Jordan Reay, CC0, source
• Bayern wins the Champions League in an empty stadium in Lisbon — Massimo Catarinella, CC BY 3.0, source
• Borussia Dortmund is founded — Freddyballo, Public domain, source
• Germany's national Bundesliga plays its first season — Kürschner (talk) 15:21, 2 June 2018 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Harry Kane joins Bayern Munich from Tottenham — Number 10, CC BY 2.0, source
• Horst Hrubesch scores twice as West Germany wins the Euro in Rome — Humberto Speranza and Guillermo Gruben, Public domain, source
• Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal wins the Euro for Germany at Wembley — User:Responsible?, Public domain, source
• West Germany wins its first European Championship — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Calcio

• AC Milan crushes Barcelona 4-0 in the Champions League final in Athens — The original uploader was Manuel M at Italian Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• AS Roma is founded through a merger of three clubs — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Genoa wins the first Italian football championship — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Inter is founded after a split from AC Milan — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Italy wins the European Championship at home after a replayed final — Original: Unknown authorUnknown author / Derivative work: Heiko Gerber, Public domain, source
• Juventus is relegated over the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal — Guilherme Augusto, Public domain, source
• Juventus wins the first of nine straight Serie A titles — Gianluca Scarfò, Public domain, source
• Napoli wins its first Serie A title since the Maradona era — Calciopedia, CC0, source
• Torino's great team is lost in the Superga air disaster — Peter Broster, CC0, source

Star Signings

• David Beckham leaves Real Madrid for LA Galaxy — U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Robert M. Trujillo, Public domain, source
• Eric Cantona joins Manchester United from Leeds — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, source
• Erling Haaland joins Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund — Jacek Stanislawek, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Kevin Keegan leaves Liverpool for Hamburg — Humphreys1, Public domain, source
• Kylian Mbappé joins Real Madrid on a free transfer — Supporterhéninois, CC0, source
• Ruud Gullit joins AC Milan from PSV for a world-record fee — Rob C. Croes, Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 - negatiefstroken zwart/wit, nummer toegang 2.24.01.05, bestanddeelnummer 934-2143, CC0, source
• Sergio Agüero joins Manchester City from Atlético Madrid — Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Bosman ruling lets out-of-contract players move freely in the EU — Auteur inconnu, Public domain, source
• Wayne Rooney joins Manchester United from Everton — BikeMike, CC0, source

Strange but True

• A match in Madagascar ends 149-0 after one team scores own goals in protest — Unidentified photographer, Public domain, source
• Bramall Lane in Sheffield hosts the first floodlit football match — my own picture, Public domain, source
• Paul the Octopus correctly predicts the winner of the World Cup final — Jeff Swicord, Public domain, source
• Scotland and England draw 0-0 in the first official international match — William Ralston (1848-1911), Public domain, source
• The original Jules Rimet Trophy is stolen in Rio and never recovered — Abel Lafleur, Public domain, source
• The USA stuns England 1-0 at the World Cup in Brazil — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• World Cup qualifiers help spark the 'Football War' between El Salvador and Honduras — Carlos Valenzuela Montuy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Running the Game

• Corinthians win the first FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil — SOCCER DIGITAL, Public domain, source
• FIFA awards World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar on the same day — White House (Pete Souza) / Maison Blanche (Pete Souza), Public domain, source
• FIFA is founded in Paris — Albinfo, CC0, source
• Major League Soccer plays its first season in the United States — Major League Soccer, Public domain, source
• Police arrest FIFA officials at a Zurich hotel in a corruption probe — Robert Breitinger, Public domain, source
• The first-ever European Cup match is played, Sporting vs Partizan — No machine-readable author provided. Sacavem assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• Tunisia hosts the first FIFA World Youth Championship — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• UEFA is founded to run European football — Shev123, CC0, source

Goal Machines

• Brazil's Ronaldo breaks the all-time World Cup goalscoring record — Web Summit, CC BY 2.0, source
• Cristiano Ronaldo becomes men's international football's top scorer — Pauline_17 from Pixabay, CC0, source
• Erling Haaland sets a Premier League record with 36 goals in a season — Timmy96, CC0, source
• Eusébio finishes as the World Cup's top scorer with nine goals — Panini, Public domain, source
• Gerd Müller scores a record 85 goals in a calendar year — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Just Fontaine scores a record 13 goals at a single World Cup — Panini, Public domain, source
• Kylian Mbappé scores a hat-trick in a World Cup final — Helfer Emilio, CC0, source
• Messi passes Pelé's record for most goals scored for a single club — Joaquin ackerman, Public domain, source
• Miroslav Klose becomes the World Cup's all-time top scorer — Danilo Borges/Portal da Copa copa2014.gov.br Licença Creative Commons Atribuição 3.0 Brasil, CC BY 3.0, source

Women's Football Rises

• Alexia Putellas wins her first women's Ballon d'Or — Pedro J Pacheco, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Brazil's Marta is named FIFA World Player of the Year for the first time — Johnmaxmena (talk)John Mena, Public domain, source
• Carli Lloyd scores a hat-trick inside 16 minutes in a Women's World Cup final — The Obama White House, Public domain, source
• England beats Spain on penalties to retain the women's Euro — joshjdss, CC BY 2.0, source
• Germany wins its first Women's World Cup — El Loko, CC BY 4.0, source
• Megan Rapinoe stars as the USA wins the Women's World Cup in France — Office of Representative Alma Adams, Public domain, source
• Norway wins the Women's World Cup in Sweden — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Sweden wins the first official European championship for women — Anders Henrikson, CC BY 2.0, source
• Women's football makes its Olympic debut in Atlanta — Boston Public Library, Public domain, source

Olympic Host Cities

• Athens hosts the first modern Olympic Games — Άγνωστος/Unknown, Public domain, source
• Barcelona hosts the Summer Olympics — Post of Armenia, Public domain, source
• Beijing hosts the Summer Olympics for the first time — P. K. Koo, CC0, source
• Berlin hosts the first Olympics with a torch relay — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• London hosts the post-war 'Austerity Games' — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Mexico City hosts the first Olympics in Latin America — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Paris hosts the Olympics alongside a World's Fair — GTC, Public domain, source
• Paris hosts the Summer Olympics for a third time — Reemy 99, CC0, source
• Tokyo hosts the first Olympic Games held in Asia — Syced, CC0, source

Olympic Legends

• Bob Beamon's astonishing long jump stuns the Olympics in Mexico City — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Carl Lewis matches Jesse Owens with four golds in Los Angeles — University of Houston, Public domain, source
• Jesse Owens wins four gold medals in Berlin — Acme News Photos, Public domain, source
• London becomes the first city to host the Summer Olympics three times — DanielMichaelPerry, CC0, source
• Mark Spitz wins seven swimming golds at the Munich Olympics — Giorgio Lotti (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, source
• Michael Phelps wins a record eight golds at one Olympics — Marylandstater, Public domain, source
• Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta — Ira Rosenberg, Public domain, source
• The delayed Tokyo Olympics take place without spectators — Syced, CC0, source
• The US 'Dream Team' of NBA stars wins Olympic basketball gold — Ken Hackman, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, source

Winter Games

• Beijing becomes the first city to host both Summer and Winter Olympics — Marmat564, CC0, source
• Chamonix hosts the first Winter Olympics — Auguste Matisse, Public domain, source
• Jamaica's bobsled team makes its debut in Calgary — M. Smelter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Lillehammer hosts the first Winter Games held apart from a Summer Games year — "Posta Romana", Public domain, source
• Salt Lake City hosts the Winter Olympics — Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres., Public domain, source
• Sochi on Russia's Black Sea coast hosts the Winter Olympics — студент Института имени Репина при Санкт-Петербургской академии художества Павел Бушуев, Банк России, Гознак, Public domain, source
• Torvill and Dean skate to Boléro and score perfect marks in Sarajevo — Renhour48, CC0, source
• Turin hosts the Winter Olympics — Vione at Portuguese Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• US college players beat the Soviet Union in the 'Miracle on Ice' — Dr. John Kelley, NOAA/NOS/COOPS, Public domain, source

Formula One

• Ayrton Senna dies in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix — Ciro.maga, CC0, source
• James Hunt pips Niki Lauda to the title after Lauda's fiery crash — Hans van Dijk for Anefo / neg. stroken, 1945-1989, 2.24.01.05, item number 932-2315, CC0, source
• Lewis Hamilton wins his first Formula One world title — Vsbraga, CC0, source
• Max Verstappen wins his first title in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale — Fotóshírek szerkesztőség, CC0, source
• Michael Schumacher wins his first world title with Ferrari — Leo Schulz (Der-fan) at de.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Mike Hawthorn becomes the first British Formula One champion — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Nico Rosberg wins the world title, then retires days later — Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Senna and Prost win 15 of 16 races for McLaren — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Silverstone hosts the first Formula One World Championship race — Jiří Žemlička, Public domain, source

Grand Slam Tennis

• Andy Murray becomes the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry — Unknown, CC BY 2.0, source
• Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the 'Battle of the Sexes' — KingEnterprises, CC0, source
• Björn Borg beats John McEnroe in a classic Wimbledon final — Cornel Mocanu / agerpres.ro, Public domain, source
• Novak Djokovic wins a record 24th Grand Slam singles title — RayaJogi, CC0, source
• Rafael Nadal beats Federer in an epic Wimbledon final at dusk — Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Roger Federer wins his first Wimbledon title — Original: Alexisrael / Modified version: Bella B., Public domain, source
• Steffi Graf wins all four majors and Olympic gold: the Golden Slam — Chris Eason, Public domain, source
• Tennis enters the Open Era, letting professionals play the Grand Slams — Evers, Joost / Anefo, CC0, source
• The first Wimbledon Championships are played — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Tennis Trailblazers

• Althea Gibson becomes the first Black player to win Wimbledon — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Andy Murray wins his first Grand Slam title at the US Open — Francisco Diez, CC BY 2.0, source
• Arthur Ashe becomes the first Black man to win Wimbledon — Rob Bogaerts for Anefo, CC0, source
• Martina Navratilova wins a record ninth Wimbledon singles title — Hans van Dijk for Anefo, CC0, source
• Rafael Nadal wins his first French Open — Ji-Elle, Public domain, source
• Rod Laver wins all four majors in a single year for the second time — Evers, Joost / Anefo, CC0, source
• Roger Federer plays his farewell match at the Laver Cup in London — Original: Alexisrael / Modified version: Bella B., Public domain, source
• Serena Williams wins her first Grand Slam title at the US Open — D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, source
• Unseeded teenager Boris Becker wins Wimbledon — Lesekreis, CC0, source

World Record Breakers

• Florence Griffith-Joyner sets 100 m and 200 m records that still stand — All the photographs are in the public domain and may be credited "Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library., Public domain, source
• Javier Sotomayor clears 2.45 meters, a high jump world record — ZBOBZ, CC BY 2.0, source
• Jim Hines runs the first electronically timed 100 m under ten seconds — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Michael Johnson runs 19.32 in the 200 m wearing golden shoes — VOA News, Public domain, source
• Mike Powell finally breaks Bob Beamon's long jump world record — Lori Shepler, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, source
• Roger Bannister runs the first mile under four minutes — Unknown (United Press International), Public domain, source
• Sergey Bubka becomes the first pole vaulter to clear six meters — Ун Да-Син Вячеслав / Фотохроника ТАСС (Vyacheslav Un-Da-sin / TASS), Public domain, source
• Usain Bolt runs the 100 m in 9.58 seconds in Berlin — Richard Giles, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Wayde van Niekerk breaks Michael Johnson's 400 m world record — Erik van Leeuwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Marathon Milestones

• Abebe Bikila wins the Olympic marathon barefoot in Rome — Jack de Nijs for Anefo, CC0, source
• Dorando Pietri is helped across the line in the London Olympic marathon — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Eliud Kipchoge runs a marathon in under two hours in Vienna — ianwakefield1967, CC0, source
• Greek water carrier Spyridon Louis wins the first Olympic marathon — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Joan Benoit wins the first women's Olympic marathon — Unknown, CC0, source
• Kathrine Switzer runs the Boston Marathon with an official number — Harry Trask, Public domain, source
• The first Boston Marathon is run — Margot Murphy (Massachusetts Governor’s Press Office), Public domain, source
• The first London Marathon is run — Jon Wells, CC BY 2.0, source
• The first New York City Marathon is run in Central Park — GhostDust, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Grand Tours of Cycling

• Bradley Wiggins becomes the first British winner of the Tour de France — Adambro, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Eddy Merckx wins his first Tour de France — Panini S.p.A., Public domain, source
• Greg LeMond becomes the first American to win the Tour de France — MollySVH, CC BY 2.0, source
• Miguel Induráin wins his fifth straight Tour de France — Darz Mol, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The first Giro d'Italia is held — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first Tour de France sets off from Paris — Agence de presse Meurisse, Public domain, source
• The first Vuelta a España is held — Unknown ("Le Miroir des Sports", 9 juin 1936, p.8), Public domain, source
• The Tour de France finishes on the Champs-Élysées for the first time — Service photographique de la Présidence, CC0, source
• The Tour de France leader wears a yellow jersey for the first time — Ocdp, CC0, source

Cricket World Cups

• Australia beats India in Ahmedabad for a sixth Cricket World Cup title — Ishi6181, CC0, source
• Australia wins its first Cricket World Cup at Eden Gardens — Suraj100, Public domain, source
• England wins the World Cup on boundary count after a tied super over — Ank Kumar, CC0, source
• Imran Khan's Pakistan wins the Cricket World Cup in Melbourne — Imran Khan, CC0, source
• India wins the first T20 World Cup in South Africa — Georgez, Public domain, source
• Kapil Dev's India stuns the West Indies to win the World Cup at Lord's — Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, source
• MS Dhoni hits a six to win the World Cup for India in Mumbai — Sports Fan, Public domain, source
• Sri Lanka wins the Cricket World Cup — U.S. Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka, Public domain, source
• The West Indies win the first Cricket World Cup — Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, source

Cricket Milestones

• A mock obituary of English cricket gives birth to the Ashes — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Australia and England play the first Test match in Melbourne — Donaldytong, Public domain, source
• England, Australia and South Africa found the Imperial Cricket Conference — Robert Drummond, CC0, source
• English counties play the first major one-day cricket competition — Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Kerry Packer launches the breakaway World Series Cricket — World Series Cricket, Public domain, source
• Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first man to score 200 in a One Day International — Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, source
• The first One Day International is played in Melbourne — W. Garrett Sir 1900-1994, Public domain, source
• The Indian Premier League plays its first season — Raghavan2010, CC0, source
• The USA and Canada play the first international cricket match — From Harper's weekly : a journal of civilization. (New York : Harper' s Weekly Co., 1857-1916), Public domain, source

Hoops History

• Bill Russell wins his 11th NBA title with the Boston Celtics — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• James Naismith invents basketball using peach baskets — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• LeBron James is drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers — Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, source
• LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time top scorer — White House photo by Eric Draper, Public domain, source
• Michael Jordan's Bulls win their first NBA championship — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Chicago Bulls draft Michael Jordan — DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen, Public domain, source
• The Chicago Bulls finish the season with a 72-10 record — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• The NBA is formed through a merger of two leagues — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a single NBA game — Wilt_Chamberlain2.jpg: Fred Palumbo, World Telegram staff photographer derivative work: JoeJohnson2 (talk), Public domain, source

Golf's Great Moments

• Amateur Francis Ouimet wins the US Open — Stuyvesant Company, Public domain, source
• Augusta National hosts the first Masters Tournament — President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Public domain, source
• Jack Nicklaus wins a record sixth Masters — Shealeah Craighead, Public domain, source
• Prestwick hosts the first Open Championship — No machine-readable author provided. Markatty~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• Seve Ballesteros becomes the first European to win the Masters — Bart Molendijk / Anefo, CC0, source
• The first Ryder Cup is played in Massachusetts — Paul Morse, Public domain, source
• Tiger Woods completes the career Grand Slam at St Andrews — (WT-en) Nicolesabrina at English Wikivoyage, Public domain, source
• Tiger Woods wins his fifth Masters in a famous comeback — The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, source

Boxing Legends

• Buster Douglas stuns Mike Tyson in Tokyo — Syced, CC0, source
• Cassius Clay wins Olympic boxing gold in Rome — Panini, Public domain, source
• Jack Johnson becomes the first Black world heavyweight champion — Bain News Service, Public domain, source
• Joe Frazier hands Muhammad Ali his first professional defeat — Unknown Photographer, Public domain, source
• Joe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in their rematch at Yankee Stadium — Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, source
• Mike Tyson wins his first world heavyweight title — Richard Drew, Public domain, source
• Muhammad Ali beats George Foreman in the 'Rumble in the Jungle' — United Press International, Public domain, source
• The Marquess of Queensberry rules for boxing are published — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Women's boxing makes its Olympic debut in London — Richard Gillin from St Albans, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Breaking Barriers

• Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color line — Photo by Bob Sandberg, Look photographer Restoration by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Nelson Mandela presents the Rugby World Cup in a Springbok jersey — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rome hosts the first Paralympic Games — Hetarllen Mumriken, Public domain, source
• Saudi Arabia sends women athletes to the Olympics for the first time — سارة مصطفى الاربش, CC0, source
• The Stoke Mandeville Games for wheelchair athletes are held in England — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Title IX opens US school and college sports to women — unknown (Congressional Portrait File, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-122137), Public domain, source
• Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise gloved fists on the Olympic podium — Angelo Cozzi (Mondadori Publishers), Public domain, source
• Wimbledon pays men and women equal prize money for the first time — Taopman at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Women compete at the Olympic Games for the first time — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

America's Pastime

• Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs in a single season — Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin., Public domain, source
• Boston and Pittsburgh play the first World Series — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Cal Ripken Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games — Baltimore Orioles / MLB, Public domain, source
• Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's career home run record — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Joe DiMaggio hits safely in 56 games in a row — Play Ball cards, published by Bowman Gum, Public domain, source
• Lou Gehrig calls himself 'the luckiest man on the face of the earth' — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Boston Red Sox end the 'Curse of the Bambino' — The Union News Co., Public domain, source
• The Chicago Cubs end their famous World Series drought — Photograph: NASA, Public domain, source
• The Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first openly professional team — Brady, Mathew B., approximately 1823-1896, Public domain, source

Rugby Through Time

• Italy joins and the Five Nations becomes the Six Nations — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal wins the Rugby World Cup for England — Carrington & Co, London (trophy, based on the cup and cover by Paul de Lamerie) Roman.b (derivative work), Public domain, source
• New Zealand wins the first Rugby World Cup — Eden_Park.jpg: Gadfium derivative work: BaldBoris, Public domain, source
• Northern clubs break away and form what becomes rugby league — Ian M, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Rugby union turns professional — Boutique Rugby, Public domain, source
• Scotland and England play the first rugby international — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• South Africa wins a record fourth Rugby World Cup — Stefano Delfrate, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The 'Originals' New Zealand team tours Britain and earns the name All Blacks — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The United States wins the last Olympic rugby union tournament — Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire), Public domain, source

Start Your Engines

• Electric racing series Formula E holds its first race in Beijing — LazerianClaire, CC0, source
• Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500 — Tim O'Brien, Public domain, source
• Scotland's Jim Clark wins the Indianapolis 500 in a rear-engined Lotus — Harry Pot for Anefo, CC0, source
• The first 24 Hours of Le Mans is held — Le Miroir des sports, Public domain, source
• The first Daytona 500 is run — Associated Press Photographer, Public domain, source
• The first Grand Prix motor race is held near Le Mans — Agence Rol, Public domain, source
• The first Indianapolis 500 is run — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• The first Monaco Grand Prix races through the streets of Monte Carlo — crash71100, CC0, source
• The Paris–Rouen run becomes the first motoring competition — Image signed by T.Belack ? Artist name lost to history ? 118 years old., Public domain, source

Making a Splash

• 'Eric the Eel' Moussambani wins hearts with a slow Olympic swim — Simon Clancy from Australia, CC BY 2.0, source
• Dawn Fraser wins the first of three straight Olympic 100 m freestyle golds — Ansa, Public domain, source
• Duke Kahanamoku wins Olympic swimming gold in Stockholm — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Future Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller wins three Olympic swimming golds — Bruce Mozert, CC0, source
• Gertrude Ederle becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel — Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, source
• Léon Marchand wins four individual swimming golds at his home Olympics — Tanis Coralee Leonhardi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim the English Channel — Carlo Pellegrini, Public domain, source
• Michael Phelps ends his Olympic career with 23 gold medals — Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 br, source
• Swimmers in high-tech supersuits shatter dozens of world records — Harry Pot for Anefo, CC0, source

Olympic Firsts

• An Olympic flame burns at the Games for the first time, in Amsterdam — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Breaking makes its Olympic debut at Place de la Concorde — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Cathy Freeman lights the cauldron and later wins 400 m gold in Sydney — NTSBgov, Public domain, source
• Eric Liddell wins the 400 m in Paris, a story later told in 'Chariots of Fire' — unknown (Sports event handout)[1], Public domain, source
• Jim Thorpe wins both the pentathlon and decathlon in Stockholm — Harris & Ewing, Public domain, source
• Olympic horse events are held in Stockholm due to Australian quarantine — Mr Bullitt, Public domain, source
• Skateboarding makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo — Theodore.shouse, CC0, source
• The Olympic rings flag flies at the Games for the first time, in Antwerp — Makaristos, Public domain, source
• The United States leads a boycott of the Moscow Olympics — USSR Post, Public domain, source

Track and Field Heroes

• Barshim and Tamberi agree to share Olympic high jump gold in Tokyo — Doha Stadium Plus, CC BY 2.0, source
• Ben Johnson is stripped of his Olympic 100 m gold in Seoul — 최광모 (Choe Kwangmo), CC0, source
• Emil Zátopek wins three distance golds in Helsinki, including the marathon — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Ennis, Farah and Rutherford win gold on London's 'Super Saturday' — Steven Lewarne, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Hicham El Guerrouj wins the Olympic 1,500 m and 5,000 m double in Athens — Sebastien from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Steve Ovett and Seb Coe each win a middle-distance gold in Moscow — Ken Hackman, U.S. Air Force, Public domain, source
• Usain Bolt runs his final race at the World Championships in London — Samuel Blanck, CC0, source
• Usain Bolt wins Olympic 100 m gold in Beijing with a world record — Richard Giles, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Wilma Rudolph wins three sprint golds at the Rome Olympics — Unknown (ANSA.it), Public domain, source

On the Ice

• Alex Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record — Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Canada edges the Soviet Union in the 'Summit Series' — Andrew Scheer, CC0, source
• Ice hockey makes its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Antwerp — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Montreal hosts the first organized indoor ice hockey game — William Notman & Son, Public domain, source
• Sidney Crosby's overtime 'golden goal' wins Olympic gold for Canada — Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The National Hockey League is founded — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Stanley Cup is awarded for the first time — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Wayne Gretzky is traded from Edmonton to the Los Angeles Kings — Andre Forget - Andrew Scheer, CC0, source
• Women's ice hockey debuts at the Olympics, with the USA winning gold — Post of Belarus, Public domain, source

Gridiron Glory

• Green Bay wins the first Super Bowl — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Joe Montana's pass becomes 'The Catch', sending the 49ers to the Super Bowl — Jeno's, Public domain, source
• Joe Namath guarantees victory and the Jets win Super Bowl III — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Colts beat the Giants in 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' — Malcolm W.Emmons, Public domain, source
• The Kansas City Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls — U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Michael Crane, Public domain, source
• The league that becomes the NFL is founded in Canton, Ohio — Office of Senator George Allen, Public domain, source
• The New York Giants end the Patriots' bid for a perfect season — President's Council on Fitness and Sports, Public domain, source
• Tom Brady wins a record seventh Super Bowl, with Tampa Bay — U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ned T. Johnston, Public domain, source
• Tom Brady wins his first Super Bowl with the New England Patriots — Congressman Charlie Crist, Public domain, source

Birth of a Sport

• Badminton makes its Olympic debut in Barcelona — Stanislas PERRIN, Public domain, source
• Beach volleyball makes its Olympic debut in Atlanta — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Edinburgh golfers write down the first known rules of golf — Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• New York's Knickerbocker club writes down early rules of baseball — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Pickleball is invented on Bainbridge Island near Seattle — Fakhar Saeed, CC0, source
• Table tennis becomes an Olympic sport in Seoul — Post of Indonesia, Public domain, source
• The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is founded in London — PaddyBriggs, Public domain, source
• Walter Wingfield patents a game that becomes lawn tennis — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• William Morgan invents volleyball, first called 'Mintonette' — Hayes, Public domain, source

Sporting Superstars

• A teenage Sachin Tendulkar makes his Test debut against Pakistan — Pulkit Sinha from Mumbai, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Bobby Jones wins golf's four major titles of the day in one year — Photo by Kellar & White, Public domain, source
• Cassius Clay beats Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion — Associated Press, Public domain, source
• Don Bradman retires with a Test batting average of 99.94 — PookieFugglestein, CC0, source
• Michael Jordan wins his sixth NBA title with the Chicago Bulls — DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen, Public domain, source
• Michael Schumacher wins a record seventh Formula One world title — DPA, CC0, source
• Nadia Comăneci scores the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics — Unknown (Comitetul Olimpic si Sportiv Roman), Public domain, source
• Serena Williams beats sister Venus to win her first Wimbledon — Clavecin, Public domain, source
• Simone Biles wins four gymnastics golds at the Rio Olympics — Ocoudis, CC0, source

The Beatles Story

• Paul McCartney announces that he has left the Beatles — Apple Records, Public domain, source
• The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million Americans — Bernard Gotfryd, Public domain, source
• The Beatles play a record-breaking concert at Shea Stadium in New York — Sammetsfan, Public domain, source
• The Beatles play the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the first time — Johncons, Public domain, source
• The Beatles play their last paid concert, at Candlestick Park — Photograph: NASA, Public domain, source
• The Beatles release "Abbey Road", famous for its zebra crossing cover — Misterweiss at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The Beatles release "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" — LBJ Library from Austin, Public domain, source
• The Beatles release their debut album, "Please Please Me" — United Press International, photographer unknown, Public domain, source
• The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do" — Dezo Hoffmann, Distributed by Capitol Records, Public domain, source

From Phonograph to Streaming

• Apple unveils the iPod, promising a thousand songs in your pocket — Josep12j, CC0, source
• Columbia Records introduces the long-playing vinyl LP — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Emile Berliner patents the gramophone, which plays flat discs — Arthur Pryor, Public domain, source
• Philips introduces the compact audio cassette — Inpriva, CC0, source
• Sony launches the Walkman portable cassette player — joho345, Public domain, source
• The first compact discs and CD players go on sale — DiscoA340, CC0, source
• The MPMan, one of the first portable MP3 players, goes on sale — XAVeRY, Public domain, source
• The music streaming service Spotify launches in Sweden — Goombah, CC0, source
• Thomas Edison invents the phonograph, the first machine to record and play back sound — Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326), Public domain, source

Festival Fever

• Half a million people gather on a dairy farm for the Woodstock festival — Hillel Italie, Public domain, source
• Jimi Hendrix sets his guitar on fire at the Monterey Pop Festival — Original photographer unknown, Public domain, source
• Live 8 concerts are staged worldwide ahead of the G8 summit — Jon Lean from Bristol, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia raise money for famine relief — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Lollapalooza begins as a touring festival led by Jane's Addiction — JulDer Wiki, CC0, source
• The first Coachella festival is held in the California desert — SnoodleNoodle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The first Glastonbury Festival takes place on Worthy Farm in England — Rodw, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The first Newport Jazz Festival is held in Rhode Island — National Park Service employee unknown, Public domain, source
• The first Roskilde Festival is held in Denmark — Halfdanj at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Eurovision Winners

• ABBA wins Eurovision with "Waterloo" in Brighton — Atlantic Records, Public domain, source
• Céline Dion wins Eurovision, singing for Switzerland — Mario Niccolo Messina me medesimo (User:Mnmessina) used in respective article on it:Wikipedia and released in the public domain., CC0, source
• Conchita Wurst wins Eurovision for Austria with "Rise Like a Phoenix" — Albin Olsson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Italian rock band Måneskin wins Eurovision in Rotterdam — Paolo Santambrogio, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Katrina and the Waves win Eurovision for the UK with "Love Shine a Light" — Finsent, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Loreen wins Eurovision for Sweden with "Euphoria" — Loreentalhaoui.jpg: Cassiopeija derivative work: Elinnea (talk), CC0, source
• Monster-masked rockers Lordi win Eurovision for Finland — User:Tktt Edit: Cornischong at lb.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Riverdance makes its debut as the Eurovision interval act in Dublin — Lotus62, CC0, source
• Switzerland wins the very first Eurovision Song Contest, held in Lugano — Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo, CC0, source

Classical Masterpieces

• Antonio Vivaldi publishes "The Four Seasons" — Giuseppe Nogari, Public domain, source
• Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with its "Ode to Joy", premieres in Vienna — Joseph Karl Stieler, Public domain, source
• Handel's "Messiah" has its premiere in Dublin — Attributed to Balthasar Denner, Public domain, source
• Johann Sebastian Bach presents his Brandenburg Concertos — Elias Gottlob Haussmann, Public domain, source
• Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni" premieres in Prague — en:User:Eixo, Public domain, source
• Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" causes uproar at its Paris premiere — Gerda Arendt, CC0, source
• Tchaikovsky's ballet "The Nutcracker" premieres in St. Petersburg — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Verdi's opera "La Traviata" premieres in Venice — Gerda Arendt, CC0, source
• Wagner's Bayreuth Festival opens with the complete Ring cycle — Ekem at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Premiere Nights

• Beethoven's Fifth Symphony premieres in Vienna — Alt, Jakob (1789 – 1872), Public domain, source
• Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" premieres in Paris — Pierre Petit, Public domain, source
• Bizet's opera "Carmen" premieres in Paris — Tucker Collection, Public domain, source
• Edward Elgar's "Enigma Variations" premieres in London — Herbert Lambert (1881–1936), Public domain, source
• George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" premieres in New York — Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, source
• Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" premieres as a ballet in Paris — Unknown authorUnknown author The image holder, the Bibliothèque nationale de France has not identified a photographer. (Follow link and click on "Detailed information".), Public domain, source
• Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo", one of the first great operas, premieres in Mantua — Bernardo Strozzi, Public domain, source
• Mozart's "The Magic Flute" premieres in Vienna — Printer Ignaz Alberti, Public domain, source
• Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Vienna — Barbara Krafft, Public domain, source

Elvis and Early Rock 'n' Roll

• "Heartbreak Hotel" becomes Elvis Presley's first number-one hit — Edward Roth, Public domain, source
• "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets tops the US charts — Anefo, CC0, source
• Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper die in a plane crash — Brunswick Records (photographer: James J. Kriegsmann); scan by Hulton Archive; restored by Hohum., Public domain, source
• Elvis Presley buys the Graceland mansion in Memphis — Department of the Interior. National Business Center. Administrative Operations Directorate. Division of Employee and Public Services. Creative Communications Branch. Photographic Services. 2000, Public domain, source
• Elvis Presley is inducted into the US Army — Jack R. Thornell, Public domain, source
• Elvis Presley records "That's All Right" at Sun Studio in Memphis — Joshua Ness theexplorerdad, CC0, source
• Elvis Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii" concert is broadcast by satellite — RCA Records, Public domain, source
• Elvis Presley's TV comeback special puts him back on top — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first artists — Derek Jensen (Tysto), Public domain, source

The King of Pop

• Dozens of stars record "We Are the World", co-written by Michael Jackson — U.S. State Department, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson dies in Los Angeles weeks before a comeback tour — Alexis Doine, CC0, source
• Michael Jackson headlines the Super Bowl halftime show — NASA, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson performs the moonwalk on TV for the first time — Matthew Rolston; Distributed by Epic Records, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson releases "Thriller", the best-selling album of all time — White House Photo Office, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson releases the album "Bad" — President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson releases the album "Dangerous" — David Valdez, Public domain, source
• Michael Jackson releases the solo album "Off the Wall" — Epic Records, Public domain, source
• The Jackson 5 release their first Motown single, "I Want You Back" — Unknown Author, Public domain, source

Bands Are Born

• An audition brings together the five Spice Girls — Ezekiel., Public domain, source
• Four Dublin schoolboys form the band that becomes U2 — Anton Corbijn, Distributed by Island Records, Public domain, source
• Jimmy Page forms Led Zeppelin — Atlantic Records, Public domain, source
• K-pop group BTS makes its debut in South Korea — The White House, Public domain, source
• Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic form Nirvana — Embassy of the United States, Bern, Public domain, source
• Metallica forms in Los Angeles — Library of Congress Life, CC0, source
• Oasis forms in Manchester, soon joined by Noel Gallagher — D-d-d-d-d-d-card at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Pink Floyd forms in London — Hit Parader magazine This is a retouched picture, which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. Modifications made by Dcameron814., Public domain, source
• The Rolling Stones play their first gig, at London's Marquee Club — Hugo van Gelderen (ANEFO), CC0, source

Splits and Reunions

• ABBA reunites with "Voyage", their first album in decades — Kåre Eide, CC0, source
• Geri Halliwell leaves the Spice Girls — Ezekiel., Public domain, source
• Led Zeppelin disbands after the death of drummer John Bonham — BlackRebel2097, CC0, source
• Nirvana comes to an end after the death of Kurt Cobain — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Oasis begins its long-awaited reunion tour in Cardiff — Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Oasis splits after Noel Gallagher quits during a tour — D-d-d-d-d-d-card at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• R.E.M. announces that the band is calling it a day — Sandra Lee-Phipps; distributed by I.R.S. Records, Public domain, source
• Simon & Garfunkel split after "Bridge Over Troubled Water" — GAC-General Artists Corporation-management and Columbia Records, their recording company, Public domain, source
• The Smiths break up after guitarist Johnny Marr leaves — Paul Cox; Distributed by Sire Records, Public domain, source

The Rise of Hip-Hop

• 50 Cent scores a worldwide hit with "In Da Club" — Mrjoshuawells, Public domain, source
• DJ Kool Herc throws a Bronx party seen as the birth of hip-hop — Bigtimepeace, Public domain, source
• Dr. Dre releases his solo debut album "The Chronic" — Riceblades, CC0, source
• Eminem releases "The Slim Shady LP" — Brendan_linden, CC0, source
• Kanye West releases his debut album "The College Dropout" — David Shankbone, Public domain, source
• Kendrick Lamar becomes the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize — U.S. Government, White House videographer., Public domain, source
• N.W.A release the album "Straight Outta Compton" — Taft High School, Public domain, source
• Run-DMC and Aerosmith team up on "Walk This Way" — Laura Levine, Public domain, source
• The Sugarhill Gang release "Rapper's Delight" — Sugarhill Records (Sugar Hill Records), Public domain, source

Queens of Pop

• Adele releases "21", featuring "Rolling in the Deep" — Kristopher Harris from Charlotte, NC, CC BY 2.0, source
• Beyoncé releases the visual album "Lemonade" — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, source
• Britney Spears releases "...Baby One More Time" — Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0, source
• Lady Gaga releases her debut album "The Fame" — The White House, Public domain, source
• Madonna releases her debut album — JD Urban from Brooklyn, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Taylor Swift kicks off the record-breaking Eras Tour — Paolo V, CC BY 2.0, source
• Taylor Swift releases her debut country album — Brian Cantoni, CC BY 2.0, source
• Whitney Houston releases her debut album — Noah K. Murray/ staff photographer, Public domain, source
• Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" becomes a global hit — PH2 Mark Kettenhofen, Public domain, source

Christmas Songs

• Band Aid records "Do They Know It's Christmas?" — International Monetary Fund Photograph/Stephen Jaffe, Public domain, source
• Bing Crosby records "White Christmas" — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Brenda Lee records "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" — MCA Records/Billy Smith-management, Public domain, source
• Gene Autry records "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" — Harry Warnecke / Robert F. Cranston, Public domain, source
• Isaac Watts publishes the words of "Joy to the World" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• James Lord Pierpont publishes the song now known as "Jingle Bells" — Cornelius Krieghoff, Public domain, source
• John Lennon and Yoko Ono release "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" — Bernard Gotfryd, Public domain, source
• Mariah Carey releases "All I Want for Christmas Is You" — Shawn Miller, Public domain, source
• The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl release "Fairytale of New York" — K8 fan at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Instruments and Machines

• Adolphe Sax patents the saxophone — Adolphe Sax, Public domain, source
• Cyrill Demian patents the accordion in Vienna — Creator:Alexandre Pere & Fils, CC0, source
• Fender launches the Stratocaster electric guitar — Fender_Stratocaster_004.JPG: Stra2caster derivative work: Atlantictire (talk), Public domain, source
• Gibson introduces the Les Paul electric guitar — Les_Paul_Gold_Top_2.jpg: Pinotto992 derivative work: Clusternote, CC0, source
• Léon Theremin invents the theremin, played without being touched — Bettmann, Corbis, Public domain, source
• Robert Moog unveils his first modular synthesizer — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Roland releases the TR-808 drum machine — Roland_TR-808_&_909.jpg: Brandon Daniel derivative work: Clusternote (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The Hammond electric organ goes on sale — Edalstrom, CC0, source
• The MIDI standard lets electronic instruments talk to each other — Χρήστης:Papyrus, Public domain, source

Folk, Protest and Dylan

• Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature — Don Hunstein, Public domain, source
• Bob Dylan performs for Pope John Paul II in Bologna — Bernard Gotfryd, Public domain, source
• Bob Dylan releases "Blowin' in the Wind" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Bob Dylan releases his debut album — Rowland Scherman, National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, source
• Bob Dylan shocks folk fans by going electric at the Newport Folk Festival — Daniel Kramer (Albert Grossman Management), Public domain, source
• Dylan, Harrison, Petty, Orbison and Lynne form the Traveling Wilburys — Jack de Nijs for Anefo, CC0, source
• George Harrison and Ravi Shankar stage the Concert for Bangladesh — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" reaches number one — GAC-General Artists Corporation-management and Columbia Records, their recording company, Public domain, source
• Woody Guthrie writes "This Land Is Your Land" — Al Aumuller/New York World-Telegram and the Sun (uploaded by User:Urban), Public domain, source

Sounds of the World

• "Macarena" by Los del Río tops the US charts — Paconi, CC BY 3.0, source
• "The Girl from Ipanema" turns bossa nova into a worldwide craze — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Bob Marley and the Wailers release "Catch a Fire" — Dennis Morris; Distributed by Island Records, Public domain, source
• Bob Marley headlines the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston, Jamaica — Cm 1962, CC0, source
• BTS's "Dynamite" is the first song by a Korean act to top the Billboard Hot 100 — The White House, Public domain, source
• Harry Belafonte's "Calypso" becomes the first LP to sell a million copies — This photograph was made by Rowland Scherman at the March on Washington. The negatives are in the custody of the National Archives. ), Public domain, source
• Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" becomes a global smash — Nicolas Lacoste. Daniela Girón. Luis Fonsi. 💍💋👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🥰, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Paul Simon releases "Graceland", recorded with South African musicians — Svickova, Public domain, source
• PSY's "Gangnam Style" becomes the first YouTube video with a billion views — Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Jazz and Blues

• Benny Goodman brings swing to Carnegie Hall in a famous concert — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Bessie Smith makes her first recording, "Downhearted Blues" — Carl Van Vechten, restored by Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Louis Armstrong makes his first recordings with his Hot Five — Advertising department of Okeh Records, Public domain, source
• Louis Armstrong releases "What a Wonderful World" — Harry Warnecke / Gus Schoenbaechler, Public domain, source
• Louis Armstrong's "Hello, Dolly!" knocks the Beatles off the top spot — World-Telegram staff photographer, Public domain, source
• Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues" becomes a hit blues record — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Miles Davis releases "Kind of Blue" — William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, source
• Robert Johnson records his first blues songs in San Antonio — Robert Johnson (self-portrait), Public domain, source
• The Original Dixieland Jass Band makes the first jazz record — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Charts, Awards and MTV

• Billboard magazine publishes its first music popularity chart — Billboard, Public domain, source
• MTV launches with "Video Killed the Radio Star" — Logoover23, CC0, source
• MTV Unplugged airs its first acoustic episode — Dfrancisp devin, Public domain, source
• The BBC broadcasts the first episode of "Top of the Pops" — BBC, Public domain, source
• The first Grammy Awards ceremony is held — ArtemisiaGentileschiFan, CC0, source
• The first MTV Video Music Awards are held in New York — Luca Bravo lucabravo, CC0, source
• The NME publishes the first UK singles chart — Adrian Boot, Public domain, source
• The talent show "American Idol" premieres on US television — Stephen Schester/Carlin Leslie, Public domain, source

Albums That Changed Everything

• AC/DC release "Back in Black" — Distributed by Atco Records, Public domain, source
• Alanis Morissette releases "Jagged Little Pill" — Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, source
• Amy Winehouse releases "Back to Black" — eddievanderwalt, Public domain, source
• Fleetwood Mac release "Rumours" — Warner Bros. Records, Public domain, source
• Marvin Gaye releases "What's Going On" — Photograph by Jim Britt, whose other (copyrighted) photos of Gaye from the same session—many of them in full color—can be seen at his website. Originally distributed by Motown Records., Public domain, source
• Nirvana release "Nevermind", bringing grunge to the mainstream — Original uploader was and author Johndude1321 at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Pink Floyd release "The Dark Side of the Moon" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Radiohead release "OK Computer" — Tim Cochrane from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, source
• The Beach Boys release "Pet Sounds" — The associated student body, Hawthorne High School, Public domain, source

Legendary Music Venues

• Carnegie Hall opens in New York with Tchaikovsky as guest conductor — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• EMI opens its studios on Abbey Road in London — Alan Levine, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall opens in Los Angeles — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• La Scala opera house opens in Milan — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Queen Victoria opens the Royal Albert Hall in London — Ted Potters, Public domain, source
• Teatro di San Carlo opens in Naples, now the oldest working opera house — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Cavern Club opens in Liverpool as a jazz cellar — Man vyi, Public domain, source
• The current Madison Square Garden arena opens in New York — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

National Anthems

• "God Save the King" is performed in public for the first time in London — Uncredited, Public domain, source
• "Jana Gana Mana", by Rabindranath Tagore, is sung for the first time — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• "O Canada" is performed for the first time, in Quebec City — L'Opinion publique Vol. 4, no 11, Public domain, source
• "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially becomes the US national anthem — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" is adopted as the anthem of Europe — Julian Kücklich, CC0, source
• Francis Scott Key writes the words of "The Star-Spangled Banner" — Northern-Virginia-Photographer, CC0, source
• Hoffmann von Fallersleben writes "Das Lied der Deutschen" on Heligoland — Photographisches Atelier von W(ilhelm) Halffter, Berlin, Leipziger-Strasse 91, Ecke Mauerstraße, Public domain, source
• Joseph Haydn composes the melody now used for Germany's anthem — Francesco Bartolozzi, CC0, source
• Rouget de Lisle writes "La Marseillaise" — Isidore Pils, Public domain, source

Hits Across the Ages

• Beethoven writes the piano piece "Für Elise" — Joseph Karl Stieler, Public domain, source
• Billie Eilish wins all four main Grammy categories in one night — crommelincklars, CC BY 2.0, source
• Glenn Miller receives the first gold record for "Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Handel's "Water Music" is first played on a barge on the Thames — Edouard Hamman, Public domain, source
• Johann Strauss II's waltz "The Blue Danube" premieres in Vienna — Fritz Luckhardt / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Scott Joplin publishes the "Maple Leaf Rag" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience release "Are You Experienced" — Warner/Reprise Records Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The Sex Pistols release "God Save the Queen" — Koen Suyk; Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 - negatiefstroken zwart/wit, nummer toegang 2.24.01.05, bestanddeelnummer 928-9664, CC0, source
• The Spice Girls release their debut single "Wannabe" — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, source

Rock Anthems

• "Rocket 88" is recorded, often called the first rock 'n' roll record — Rob Mieremet / Adam Cuerden, CC0, source
• Bon Jovi release "Livin' on a Prayer" — Laurent Fox--HUD, Public domain, source
• Chuck Berry releases "Johnny B. Goode" — Pickwick Records, Public domain, source
• Imagine Dragons release "Radioactive" — Imagine Dragons, Public domain, source
• Led Zeppelin release "Stairway to Heaven" — Atlantic Records, Public domain, source
• Metallica release "Enter Sandman" — Library of Congress Life, CC0, source
• The Clash release "London Calling" — Diagram Lajard, CC0, source
• The Rolling Stones release "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — Unknown authorUnknown author This is a retouched picture, which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. Modifications made by Dcameron814., Public domain, source
• The White Stripes release "Seven Nation Army" — Gmczk, CC0, source

Songs Everyone Knows

• "Don't Worry, Be Happy" becomes the first a cappella US number one — Fotopersbureau De Boer, CC0, source
• Adele releases "Hello" — Marc E., CC BY 2.0, source
• Chubby Checker's "The Twist" starts a worldwide dance craze — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• John Lennon releases "Imagine" — en:User:Timsan79, Public domain, source
• Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" tops charts around the world — Office of United States Congressman Luis Fortuño (R- Puerto Rico), Public domain, source
• The Black Eyed Peas release "I Gotta Feeling" — Matthew Waller, Public domain, source
• The tune of "Happy Birthday" is published as "Good Morning to All" — Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill (unnamed in this printing), Public domain, source
• Village People release "Y.M.C.A." — Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center. 1994, Public domain, source
• W. C. Handy publishes "St. Louis Blues" — Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, source

Superstars Break Through

• "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X sets a record for weeks at number one — Trekinasibyllinedream, CC0, source
• Aretha Franklin releases "Respect" — Atlantic Records (Life time: Published before 1978 without a copyright notice), Public domain, source
• Coldplay release their breakthrough single "Yellow" — Liondartois, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• David Bowie becomes Ziggy Stardust — RCA Records, Public domain, source
• One Direction is formed on the TV talent show "The X Factor" — L. Emil Eikner, Public domain, source
• Prince releases "Purple Rain" — Warner Bros. Pictures, Public domain, source
• Ray Charles releases "What'd I Say" — William Morris Agency (management)/Photo by Maurice Seymour, New York., Public domain, source
• Screaming fans greet Frank Sinatra at New York's Paramount Theatre — William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, source
• U2 release "The Joshua Tree" — Angwinar, CC0, source

A Galaxy Far, Far Away

• "Attack of the Clones" opens with Hayden Christensen as Anakin — Gál Tímea, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• "Return of the Jedi" completes the original Star Wars trilogy — Broadway42ndSt, Public domain, source
• "Revenge of the Sith" shows Anakin becoming Darth Vader — Staff Sgt. Carlos Lazo, Public domain, source
• "The Empire Strikes Back" reveals Darth Vader's big secret — ABC Television, Public domain, source
• "The Force Awakens" introduces Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren — Our Movie Guide, CC BY 3.0, source
• "The Mandalorian" premieres as the first live-action Star Wars series — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• "The Phantom Menace" brings Star Wars back to cinemas — USConsulateHamburg, Public domain, source
• Disney agrees to buy Lucasfilm, the company behind Star Wars — unknown NPS Photographer, Public domain, source
• George Lucas's "Star Wars" opens in cinemas — AP Wirephoto, Public domain, source

Licence to Thrill: James Bond

• "Dr. No", the first James Bond film, premieres with Sean Connery — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• "Goldfinger" makes the Aston Martin DB5 the most famous car in film — Alf van Beem, Public domain, source
• "No Time to Die" finally opens after long pandemic delays — Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• "Skyfall" becomes the first Bond film to earn a billion dollars — Frankie Fouganthin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Daniel Craig debuts as James Bond in "Casino Royale" — NYTrotter, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• George Lazenby plays Bond for the only time — Luigi Novi, CC BY 3.0, source
• Pierce Brosnan debuts as James Bond in "GoldenEye" — Jay Godwin, Public domain, source
• Roger Moore debuts as James Bond in "Live and Let Die" — Press, Public domain, source
• Timothy Dalton debuts as James Bond in "The Living Daylights" — Bart Molendijk / Anefo, CC0, source

Assembling the Marvel Universe

• "Avengers: Endgame" passes "Avatar" as the highest-grossing film — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• "Black Panther" opens, later the first superhero Best Picture nominee — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• "Guardians of the Galaxy" turns little-known heroes into stars — Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, source
• "Iron Man" launches the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Sgt. Michael Connors (302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment), Public domain, source
• "The Avengers" unites Marvel's heroes on screen for the first time — Sgt. Bryson K. Jones, Public domain, source
• "WandaVision" becomes Marvel Studios' first Disney+ series — https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600/, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in "Doctor Strange" — Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Chris Hemsworth swings the hammer in "Thor" — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Disney agrees to buy Marvel Entertainment — Empoor at Dutch Wikipedia, Public domain, source

Superheroes on Screen

• "Deadpool & Wolverine" becomes the highest-grossing R-rated film — Bananaa88, Public domain, source
• "Joker" wins the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival — Birkho, CC0, source
• Adam West stars in the campy "Batman" TV series — NBC Television, Public domain, source
• Christopher Reeve makes audiences believe a man can fly in "Superman" — White House Photo Office, Public domain, source
• Gal Gadot stars in Patty Jenkins's "Wonder Woman" — Rogue Artists, CC BY 3.0, source
• George Reeves stars in the TV series "Adventures of Superman" — U.S. Treasury Department, Public domain, source
• Heath Ledger plays the Joker in "The Dark Knight" — Howie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Tim Burton's "Batman" stars Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson — CBS Television, Public domain, source
• Tobey Maguire swings into cinemas in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" — President (2001-2009 : Bush). Office of Management and Administration. Office of White House Management. Photography Office. 1/20/2001-1/20/2009, Public domain, source

Harry Potter on the Big Screen

• "Deathly Hallows – Part 2" brings the Harry Potter film series to an end — addy.click, CC0, source
• "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" opens in cinemas — Dublin International Film Festival, CC BY 3.0, source
• "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" opens in cinemas — Scottish Documentary Institute, CC BY 2.0, source
• "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" premieres in London — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Alfonso Cuarón directs "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, source
• Eddie Redmayne stars in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" — Dick Thomas Johnson, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
• Imelda Staunton plays Dolores Umbridge in "The Order of the Phoenix" — Lega Nerd, CC BY 3.0, source
• Robert Pattinson plays Cedric Diggory in "The Goblet of Fire" — Elena Ternovaja, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Warner Bros. Studio Tour opens at Leavesden, near London — Benoît Prieur, CC0, source

And the Oscar Goes To...

• "La La Land" is wrongly announced as Best Picture instead of "Moonlight" — Dazdncnfuzd333 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• "Parasite" becomes the first non-English-language Best Picture winner — usbotschaftberlin, Public domain, source
• "Titanic" wins a record-equaling 11 Oscars — Andrea Raffin, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Halle Berry becomes the first Black woman to win Best Actress — Office of Representative Clark, Public domain, source
• Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Oscar — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman to win Best Director — Sgt. Michael Connors - 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Public domain, source
• Sidney Poitier becomes the first Black man to win Best Actor — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• The Academy Awards ceremony is shown on television for the first time — Christian Dionne, Public domain, source
• The first Academy Awards are handed out, with "Wings" as top film — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

The Magic of Animation

• "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premieres as Disney's first feature — Harris & Ewing, Public domain, source
• Disney releases "Cinderella" — Dave E. Dexter, Jr., Public domain, source
• Disney's "Fantasia" sets animation to classical music — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Disney's "Frozen" makes "Let It Go" a worldwide hit — U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, Public domain, source
• Disney's "The Lion King" roars into cinemas — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, source
• DreamWorks releases "Shrek" — Neelix at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" wins the Oscar for Animated Feature — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" brings Japanese anime to a world audience — Selbymay, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Mickey Mouse whistles his way through "Steamboat Willie" — Walt Disney / Ub Iwerks, Public domain, source

TV Series Premieres

• "Breaking Bad" premieres on AMC — ABC Television, Public domain, source
• "Doctor Who" premieres on the BBC — Pwimageglow, Public domain, source
• "Friends" premieres on NBC — Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, source
• "Game of Thrones" premieres on HBO — László Szalai (Beyond silence), Public domain, source
• "Sesame Street" premieres on American public television — Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon, Public domain, source
• "Star Trek" premieres on NBC — NBC Television, Public domain, source
• "The Simpsons" premieres as a half-hour series — PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0, source
• "The Sopranos" premieres on HBO — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Public domain, source
• The sitcom "I Love Lucy" premieres on CBS — CBS Television-see above re: advertising and publicity agencies and how they were used for publicity material distribution., Public domain, source

The Streaming Revolution

• "CODA" becomes the first streaming film to win Best Picture — Lyn Fairly Media, CC BY 3.0, source
• "House of Cards" debuts as Netflix's first major original series — Department of State. Bureau of Administration. Office of General Services Management. Special Services Division. Audiovisual Services Branch. (2001), Public domain, source
• "Squid Game" becomes Netflix's most-watched series — Rene "Ralph" Min, CC0, source
• "Stranger Things" premieres on Netflix — TheOfficialPandora, CC BY 3.0, source
• Disney launches its streaming service Disney+ — hyku, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Netflix is founded as a DVD-by-mail rental service — The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, source
• Netflix starts streaming films and shows online — Netflix Inc., Public domain, source
• Video rental chain Blockbuster files for bankruptcy — UpdateNerd, CC0, source

Box Office Giants

• "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" open on the same day: "Barbenheimer" — Ondine Goat, CC0, source
• "Ben-Hur" thrills audiences with its chariot race — Rowland Scherman, Public domain, source
• "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" becomes the highest-grossing film yet — Associated Press, Public domain, source
• "Gone with the Wind" premieres in Atlanta — Selznick International Pictures; Fred Parrish, photographer, Public domain, source
• "Jurassic Park" brings dinosaurs to life with computer graphics — opapaty, CC0, source
• "The Sound of Music" opens, starring Julie Andrews — 20th Century Fox, Public domain, source
• James Cameron's "Titanic" opens in cinemas — U.S. Department of State, Public domain, source
• James Cameron's 3D epic "Avatar" opens in cinemas — MC2 Gina K. Wollman, USN, Public domain, source
• Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" becomes the first summer blockbuster — Roger Kastel, Public domain, source

Birth of the Movies

• "The Great Train Robbery" becomes an early Western hit — Edwin Stanton Porter, Public domain, source
• "The Jazz Singer" brings synchronized talking to a feature film — Film studio, Public domain, source
• Charlie Chaplin releases his first feature film, "The Kid" — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source
• Eadweard Muybridge photographs a galloping horse in rapid sequence — Eadweard Muybridge, Public domain, source
• F. W. Murnau's vampire film "Nosferatu" premieres in Berlin — Unknown photographer and publisher - reverse is blank apart from message and 1922 postmark, Public domain, source
• Georges Méliès releases "A Trip to the Moon" — Georges Méliès, Public domain, source
• The first film studio in Hollywood opens on Sunset Boulevard — Witzel Studios, LA, Public domain, source
• The giant "Hollywoodland" sign is put up in the hills of Los Angeles — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Lumière brothers hold the first public film screening in Paris — Marcellin Auzolle, Public domain, source

Hollywood's Golden Age

• "Casablanca" premieres with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman — Published by The Minneapolis Tribune-photo from Warner Bros., Public domain, source
• "King Kong" climbs the Empire State Building — Studio publicity still, Public domain, source
• Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" shocks cinema audiences — Ante Brkan, Public domain, source
• Audrey Hepburn rides a Vespa through "Roman Holiday" — Paramount-photo by Bud Fraker, Public domain, source
• Gene Kelly dances through "Singin' in the Rain" — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, source
• James Dean stars in "Rebel Without a Cause" — In-house publicity still, Public domain, source
• Judy Garland stars as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" — Eric Carpenter for en:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, source
• Orson Welles directs and stars in "Citizen Kane" — Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, source
• The first Cannes Film Festival is held on the French Riviera — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

To Pixar and Beyond

• "Toy Story 3" becomes the first animated film to earn a billion dollars — nicolas genin from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• "Toy Story" becomes the first fully computer-animated feature film — MingleMediaTVNetwork, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• A lonely trash-compacting robot stars in Pixar's "WALL-E" — Jo!Hannes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Disney buys Pixar Animation Studios — P.gobin at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Pixar releases "Finding Nemo" — Janderk, Public domain, source
• Pixar releases "Monsters, Inc." — Philkon Phil Konstantin, Public domain, source
• Pixar's "Coco" celebrates Mexico's Day of the Dead — Gobierno CDMX, CC0, source
• Pixar's "Up" becomes the first animated film to open Cannes — Timantha102938, Public domain, source
• Steve Jobs buys Lucasfilm's computer graphics unit, which becomes Pixar — Photo: Bernard Gotfryd - Edited from tif by Cart, Public domain, source

Middle-earth and Beyond

• "The Fellowship of the Ring" opens Peter Jackson's trilogy — Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" brings Narnia to cinemas — ManoSolo13241324, CC0, source
• "The NeverEnding Story" takes viewers to the land of Fantasia — Unknown, Public domain, source
• "The Return of the King" sweeps all 11 Oscars it is nominated for — New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, source
• Amazon premieres "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" — BRWC, CC BY 3.0, source
• Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson star in "Twilight" — lukeford.net, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
• Martin Freeman stars in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" — Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Rob Reiner's fairy tale "The Princess Bride" opens — Thomson200, CC0, source
• Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" stars Johnny Depp — Fox Broadcasting Company, Public domain, source

Science Fiction Classics

• "Planet of the Apes" opens with its famous twist ending — photo by Friedman-Abeles, New York., Public domain, source
• "The Day the Earth Stood Still" brings a flying saucer to Washington — Bert Parry [1], Public domain, source
• Christopher Nolan's dream heist "Inception" opens — Peter Andersen, Public domain, source
• Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" imagines a city of the future — Boris Bilinsky, Public domain, source
• Keanu Reeves takes the red pill in "The Matrix" — Governo do Estado de São Paulo, CC BY 2.0, source
• Marty McFly travels in a DeLorean in "Back to the Future" — Guillaume Vachey from Chalon sur Saone, France, CC0, source
• Matthew McConaughey journeys through a wormhole in "Interstellar" — White House, Public domain, source
• Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" opens — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• Sigourney Weaver battles a creature in Ridley Scott's "Alien" — The Ethel Walker School, Public domain, source

Bollywood and World Cinema

• "Alam Ara" becomes India's first sound film — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" begins its record cinema run in Mumbai — Vinaya moorthy from vikatan, CC0, source
• "Naatu Naatu" from "RRR" wins the Oscar for Best Original Song — Silverscreen Media Inc. (https://silverscreen.in), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• "Raja Harishchandra", India's first full-length feature film, premieres — Palaviprabhu at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" opens in Japan — 映画の友 (Eiga no tomo), Public domain, source
• Danny Boyle's Mumbai-set "Slumdog Millionaire" is released — Ariela Ortiz Barrantes, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" stages its famous scene in the Trevi Fountain — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Satyajit Ray's debut film "Pather Panchali" is released — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Bollywood blockbuster "Sholay" opens, starring Amitabh Bachchan — Studio Harcourt, CC BY 3.0, source

Unforgettable TV Moments

• "Game of Thrones" airs its much-debated final episode — Vengerb3rg, CC0, source
• "Monty Python's Flying Circus" premieres on the BBC — Distributed by Arista Records, Public domain, source
• British soap opera "Coronation Street" airs its first episode — Jordan 1972, Public domain, source
• Millions watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II live on TV — Herbert James Gunn, Public domain, source
• The BBC starts the world's first regular high-definition TV service — Robert-brook, CC0, source
• The final episode of "Friends" airs on NBC — DanByers, Public domain, source
• The finale of "M*A*S*H" becomes the most-watched US TV episode — Roundup, Public domain, source
• The first "Big Brother" reality show airs in the Netherlands — Thms and Siebrand, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
• Viewers worldwide wonder "Who shot J.R.?" in "Dallas" — ABC Television, Public domain, source

Movie Star Moments

• Charlie Chaplin first appears on screen as the Little Tramp — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Clint Eastwood stars in Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" — United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Public domain, source
• John Travolta hits the dance floor in "Saturday Night Fever" — Blue_Angels_Newton-John_Travolta_cropped.jpg: PH3 CURT FARGO derivative work: Rambo's Revenge (en.wiki), Public domain, source
• Marilyn Monroe sings in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" — Sam Shaw, Public domain, source
• Marlon Brando plays Vito Corleone in "The Godfather" — None visible/Paramount Pictures, Public domain, source
• Russell Crowe stars in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" — Jcmurphy (talk), Public domain, source
• Tom Cruise flies fighter jets in "Top Gun" — VietnamJ25, CC0, source
• Tom Cruise returns to the cockpit in "Top Gun: Maverick" — U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Keenan Daniels, Public domain, source
• Tom Hanks stars in "Forrest Gump" — Clinton Presidential Library, Public domain, source

Musicals on Film

• Disney's "Mary Poppins" opens — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling star in "La La Land" — Sofia Luna Cabras, CC0, source
• Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance "Cheek to Cheek" in "Top Hat" — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in "Grease" — Bert Verhoeff for Anefo, CC0, source
• Liza Minnelli stars in "Cabaret" — Creative Management Associates (CMA), Public domain, source
• Meryl Streep sings ABBA songs in "Mamma Mia!" — Ale & Fede 4e, Public domain, source
• Patrick Swayze stars in "Dirty Dancing" — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, source
• The film of "Chicago" opens, later winning Best Picture — John Harrison at https://www.flickr.com/photos/15512543@N04/, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The film of "West Side Story" opens, later winning ten Oscars — Jack de Nijs for Anefo, CC0, source

Studios and Movie Palaces

• Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks and Griffith found United Artists — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Disney completes its takeover of the Fox film studio — Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• George Lucas founds the effects company Industrial Light & Magic — Tim-desser, CC0, source
• Grauman's Chinese Theatre opens on Hollywood Boulevard — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen found DreamWorks — Helene C. Stikkel, Public domain, source
• The film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) is formed — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first nickelodeon cinema opens in Pittsburgh — William James, Public domain, source
• Universal Studios begins its studio tram tours in Hollywood — DimiTalen, CC0, source
• Walt and Roy Disney found the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio — Florida Development Commission, Public domain, source

Building the Net

• ARPANET switches to TCP/IP, the language of today's internet — ARPANET IMP, Public domain, source
• Hotmail launches as one of the first free webmail services — Hotmail, Public domain, source
• ICANN is founded to manage internet domain names — ITU Pictures, CC BY 2.0, source
• Symbolics.com becomes the first registered .com domain name — User:webwit, Public domain, source
• The first website goes live at CERN — User:Coolcaesar at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Mosaic browser makes the web easy to use with pictures — Charles Severance, CC0, source
• Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn publish their design for the TCP protocol — Duncan.Hull, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Searching the Web

• AltaVista launches and quickly becomes a popular search engine — AltaVista Webseite, Public domain, source
• Archie, the first internet search engine, is created in Montreal — D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, source
• Google launches Gmail on April Fools' Day — Google, Public domain, source
• Jerry Yang and David Filo start the web directory Yahoo! — The original uploader was Logan at English Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• Larry Page and Sergey Brin found Google in a garage — Jordiipa, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Microsoft launches its search engine Bing — Jelson25, Public domain, source
• Robin Li founds Baidu, which becomes China's top search engine — 中国新闻社, CC BY 3.0, source
• The verb "google" is added to the Oxford English Dictionary — Cullen328, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

The Social Network Era

• "Me at the zoo" becomes the first video uploaded to YouTube — derivative work: Silly rabbit (talk) Devi_AsianElephant_SanDiegoZoo_20071230_RockingBehaviour.gif: Pedant, Public domain, source
• Elon Musk completes his purchase of Twitter — U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley, Public domain, source
• Instagram launches as an iPhone photo-sharing app — Christopher Michel from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0, source
• Jack Dorsey sends the first tweet — Runner1928, CC0, source
• Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook for Harvard students — Daderot, Public domain, source
• MySpace launches and becomes a hub for music and profiles — Roisin Murphy Fanclub, Public domain, source
• SixDegrees launches, often called the first social networking site — Katharinewillis., Public domain, source
• Snapchat launches with photos that disappear after viewing — cellanr, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• TikTok merges with Musical.ly and takes off worldwide — Solen Feyissa, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Console Wars

• Microsoft enters the console market with the Xbox — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nintendo launches the Famicom console in Japan — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nintendo releases the Super Famicom in Japan — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nintendo's Wii launches with motion-sensing controllers — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Sony launches the PlayStation 5 — Howardcorn33, CC0, source
• Sony's first PlayStation goes on sale in Japan — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Atari 2600 brings cartridge games into living rooms — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Magnavox Odyssey becomes the first home video game console — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Nintendo Switch launches as a home and handheld console — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source

Game Changers

• Atari releases the arcade table tennis game Pong — Irene De Franco, Public domain, source
• Pac-Man arrives in arcades — El Alternativo, CC0, source
• Pokémon Go sends millions of players outdoors to catch creatures — AleWi, CC0, source
• Students at MIT create Spacewar!, an early computer game — Moral authors: Martin Graetz, Stephen Russell, Wayne Wiitanen, Stephen Russell, Peter Samson, Dan Edwards, Martin Graetz, Alan Kotok, Steve Piner, Robert A Saunders, Public domain, source
• Super Mario Bros. is released for the Nintendo Entertainment System — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The first Pokémon games are released in Japan — Nintendo co.. Concepteur, Public domain, source
• The full version of Minecraft is released — Markus Alexej "Notch" Persson, Public domain, source
• The shooter game Doom is released and popularizes online multiplayer — RoboSabs, CC0, source
• World of Warcraft launches and gathers millions of online players — EdoAug, CC0, source

Golden Age of Gaming

• Activision releases the jungle adventure Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 — Kevin Savetz, CC BY 2.0, source
• Alexey Pajitnov creates Tetris in Moscow — Studio Alijn, CC0, source
• Donkey Kong arrives in arcades, introducing the hero later called Mario — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Sega introduces Sonic the Hedgehog — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Super Mario Kart starts the kart racing craze — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Super Mario World launches alongside Nintendo's Super Famicom — Chris Woodrich, Public domain, source
• The arcade game Mario Bros. introduces Mario's brother Luigi — Nick S., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The first Final Fantasy game is released in Japan — Jwdb at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Will Wright's city-building game SimCity is released — Maxis, Public domain, source

Modern Blockbuster Games

• Elden Ring is released and becomes a worldwide hit — Thomson200, CC0, source
• Epic Games releases Fortnite — Epic Games, Public domain, source
• Grand Theft Auto V earns $1 billion in sales within three days — Delta-NC from the english wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Guitar Hero arrives with its guitar-shaped controller — Y2kcrazyjoker4 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The fantasy role-playing game Skyrim is released — Bethesda Software, Public domain, source
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is released for the Nintendo 64 — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Sims lets players control the lives of virtual people — Electronic Arts, Public domain, source
• Valve launches Steam, its digital game store — Official GDC, CC BY 2.0, source
• Valve releases the puzzle game Portal — User:CCFreak2K, CC0, source

There's an App for That

• Apple opens the App Store with about 500 apps — Apple Inc., Public domain, source
• Candy Crush Saga comes to smartphones — Siukiu903, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Facebook buys WhatsApp for about $19 billion — WhatsApp/Meta, CC0, source
• Finnish studio Rovio releases Angry Birds — Juho Paavisto, Public domain, source
• Google announces Android, a mobile operating system — BruninTech, CC0, source
• Meta's Threads app gets 100 million sign-ups in five days — LPS.1, CC0, source
• Tencent launches the messaging app WeChat in China — RenRenKeiMok 2024, CC0, source
• Vine launches, the app for six-second looping videos — Twitter, Public domain, source
• Zoom becomes a household name as offices close in the pandemic — Salud Carbajal, Public domain, source

Going Viral

• "Charlie Bit My Finger" becomes one of YouTube's most-watched videos — Youtube, Public domain, source
• "The Dress" divides the internet: blue and black, or white and gold? — Yqm, CC0, source
• "Yanny or Laurel": an audio clip splits the internet — Sprinno, CC0, source
• A photo of an egg becomes the most-liked post on Instagram — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nyan Cat, a pixel cat with a rainbow trail, becomes a meme — Pat Loika, CC BY 2.0, source
• Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent audition goes viral — JOHN K THORNE, CC0, source
• The Harlem Shake dance video craze sweeps the internet — Christopher Clabaugh, Public domain, source
• The Ice Bucket Challenge raises money for ALS research — Mx. Granger, CC0, source
• The Mannequin Challenge has people freezing in place on video — AcademyOfMartialArts.ca, CC BY 3.0, source

Esports Arena

• A 16-year-old wins $3 million at the first Fortnite World Cup — D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, source
• Amazon buys Twitch for about $970 million — Andy Li, CC0, source
• Atari's Space Invaders Championship draws 10,000 players — Scalleja, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Riot Games releases League of Legends — Deedman22, CC0, source
• Stanford hosts the first known video game tournament, playing Spacewar! — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• StarCraft is released and becomes a pro gaming phenomenon in Korea — xReDeYe, CC BY 2.0, source
• The League of Legends world final sells out the Staples Center — Daniel Lobo, CC0, source
• Twitch launches as a live-streaming site for gamers — twitch.tv, Public domain, source

Milestones of the Web

• Amazon sells its first book online — David, Public domain, source
• Facebook reaches one billion monthly users — LPS.1, CC0, source
• Napster launches and lets people share music files — Joi, CC BY 2.0, source
• Ray Tomlinson sends the first network email using the @ sign — Brewster Kahle, Public domain, source
• Skype launches free voice calls over the internet — Skype, Public domain, source
• The first message is sent over ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet — ARPANET IMP, Public domain, source
• Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web at CERN — Internet Archive, Public domain, source
• Wikipedia goes online — NikosLikomitros, CC0, source

Stream It All

• A Swedish court convicts the founders of The Pirate Bay — Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Apple adds podcasts to iTunes, bringing them to millions — Xavier Dengra, CC0, source
• Apple launches its streaming service Apple Music — Nils Huenerfuerst, CC0, source
• Apple opens the iTunes Music Store, selling songs for 99 cents — Photo: Bernard Gotfryd - Edited from tif by Cart, Public domain, source
• Bram Cohen releases BitTorrent for sharing large files — Ijon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Google buys YouTube for $1.65 billion — Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Netflix passes 200 million paying subscribers — Netflix, Public domain, source
• Netflix switches on its service in 130 new countries at once — Netflix Inc., Public domain, source

Emoji, Hashtags and Selfies

• "Selfie" is named Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year — 河中桥, Public domain, source
• Chris Messina proposes using the hashtag on Twitter — iDominick, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Emoji are added to the Unicode standard — Editors of Wikipedia article en:Alchemical symbols and 84user (talk), Public domain, source
• Gary Thuerk sends the first mass unsolicited email, later called spam — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Scott Fahlman proposes the smiley :-) to mark jokes online — Scott E. Fahlman's wife, Public domain, source
• TikTok overtakes Google as the most visited website of the year — Coolcaesar, CC BY 4.0, source

Games in Your Pocket

• Mattel's Auto Race becomes the first fully electronic handheld game — JMinter, Public domain, source
• Nintendo introduces its Game & Watch handheld games — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nintendo's Game Boy goes on sale with Tetris — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Sega launches the Game Gear, a handheld with a color screen — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The dual-screen Nintendo DS goes on sale — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Nintendo 3DS brings glasses-free 3D to handheld gaming — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Tamagotchi digital pet goes on sale in Japan — Tomasz Sienicki [user: tsca, mail: tomasz.sienicki at gmail.com], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Valve ships the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC — FritzchensFritz, CC0, source

Video Game Milestones

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons becomes a lockdown hit — 任天堂株式会社, Public domain, source
• Computer Space becomes the first coin-operated arcade video game — Mbrickn, CC0, source
• Final Fantasy VII is released for the PlayStation — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Microsoft buys Minecraft's maker Mojang for $2.5 billion — AleWi, CC0, source
• Physicist William Higinbotham creates Tennis for Two on an oscilloscope — Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Public domain, source
• Space Invaders becomes an arcade sensation in Japan — No machine-readable author provided. Bamzin~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• The first Legend of Zelda game is released — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is released — Haiko Honten Co., Ltd. License, Public domain, source
• Xbox Live launches online multiplayer gaming for consoles — SeriphSeraph, CC0, source

Christmas customs are born

• 'Silent Night' is sung for the first time in Oberndorf, Austria — Sebastian Stief, Public domain, source
• A picture of Queen Victoria's Christmas tree makes the custom fashionable — Joseph Lionel Williams, Public domain, source
• Dresden holds its first Striezelmarkt Christmas market — Daderot, CC0, source
• England's Puritan Parliament bans the celebration of Christmas — After: Sir Roger L'Estrange Printed by: Mary Clark Published by: Henry Brome, Public domain, source
• Francis of Assisi stages the first nativity scene at Greccio — Giotto, Public domain, source
• Henry Cole sends the first commercial Christmas card — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Rome holds the first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• William the Conqueror is crowned King of England on Christmas Day — Brian Dooley, Public domain, source

Christmas: from banned to broadcast

• Alabama becomes the first US state to recognize Christmas as a holiday — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• British and German soldiers meet in no man's land in the Christmas truce — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Christmas Day becomes a federal holiday in the United States — Brady-Handy Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• Construction workers put up the first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree — DBZFan30 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• King George V delivers the first royal Christmas message on the radio — Ernst Sandau, Public domain, source
• Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws celebrating Christmas — Massachusetts Bay Colony, Public domain, source
• Norway sends London the first Trafalgar Square Christmas tree — Anneke_B, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• President Coolidge lights the first National Christmas Tree — NPS/ Liz Macro, Public domain, source
• Queen Elizabeth II gives the first televised royal Christmas message — Daily Comet Newspaper, Public domain, source

The story of Santa Claus

• 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) is published — Thoms, Helmuth F. (1915-1994), Public domain, source
• A misprinted phone number starts the military's Santa tracking tradition — Norad, Public domain, source
• A newspaper tells young Virginia: 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus' — Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• Haddon Sundblom paints his famous red-suited Santa for Coca-Cola ads — Haddon Sundblom, Public domain, source
• James Edgar dresses as Santa in his Massachusetts store, the first store Santa — Unknown authorUnknown author Self-scanned, Public domain, source
• Robert L. May creates Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — Sot.virk. Oswald Hedenström, Public domain, source
• The Elf on the Shelf book launches a new Christmas tradition — IIP Photo Archive from Washington, DC, USA, Public domain, source
• Thomas Nast draws his first Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly — Thomas Nast / Harper's Weekly, CC0, source
• Washington Irving's history of New York pictures a pipe-smoking St. Nicholas — Mathew Benjamin Brady / John Plumbe, Public domain, source

Spooky season

• A puppeteer's walk grows into New York's Village Halloween Parade — Tzim78, CC BY 4.0, source
• Children first go trick-or-treating to collect coins for UNICEF — Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain, source
• England makes November 5 a day of thanksgiving, the root of Bonfire Night — Geoff Charles, CC0, source
• Escape artist Harry Houdini dies on Halloween — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Guy Fawkes is caught guarding gunpowder beneath Parliament — Crispijn van de Passe the Elder, Public domain, source
• John Carpenter's horror film "Halloween" is released — Nathan Hartley Maas, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Mexico City holds its first big Day of the Dead parade — Koffermejia, CC0, source
• Mexico's Day of the Dead is added to UNESCO's cultural heritage list — Carlos.altmnt, CC0, source
• Orson Welles' radio play 'The War of the Worlds' airs on Halloween eve — Acme News Photos, Public domain, source

Celebrating loved ones

• Alibaba holds its first Singles' Day shopping sale on November 11 — Thomas LOMBARD, designed by HASSELL (architects)[1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Anna Jarvis holds the first Mother's Day service in West Virginia — Olairian, Public domain, source
• Britain's cheap Penny Post sparks a boom in mailed valentines — General Post Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Public domain, source
• Charles of Orléans writes one of the oldest surviving valentines — Unknown, CC0, source
• Father's Day becomes a permanent US national holiday — Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. U.S. Army Audiovisual Center. (ca. 1974 - 05/15/1984), Public domain, source
• Pope Gelasius I sets February 14 as the feast of St. Valentine — Artaud de Montor (1772–1849), Public domain, source
• President Woodrow Wilson makes Mother's Day a US national holiday — Frank Graham Cootes, Public domain, source
• The US proclaims the first National Grandparents Day — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Easter and spring traditions

• A German writer makes the first known mention of the Easter Bunny — ItsLassieTime, Public domain, source
• Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen reaches Easter Island on Easter Sunday — Aurbina, Public domain, source
• Fabergé crafts the first imperial Easter egg for Tsar Alexander III — Peter Carl Fabergé, CC0, source
• J. S. Fry & Sons makes Britain's first chocolate Easter egg — ChadPerez49, CC0, source
• Japanese cherry trees, a gift from Tokyo, are planted in Washington, D.C. — Nvss132, CC0, source
• Keukenhof flower garden in the Netherlands opens to the public — Unknown, Public domain, source
• President Hayes hosts the first White House Easter Egg Roll — Harris & Ewing, Public domain, source
• The Council of Nicaea agrees on a common rule for the date of Easter — Michael Damaskinos, Public domain, source
• The UN recognizes Nowruz, the Persian New Year, as an international day — The White House, Public domain, source

Ringing in the New Year

• Crowds gather for the first New Year's Eve party in Times Square — Unknown photographerUnknown photographer photographer, Public domain, source
• France decrees that the year will begin on January 1 — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• Japan adopts the Western calendar and celebrates New Year on January 1 — Mr.ちゅらさん, CC0, source
• Pasadena holds its first Tournament of Roses Parade — Serenewilliams, CC0, source
• Robert Burns writes down the words of 'Auld Lang Syne' — Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Scotland moves New Year's Day to January 1 — John de Critz, Public domain, source
• The BBC first broadcasts Big Ben's chimes to ring in the New Year — CAPTAIN RAJU, CC0, source
• The first New Year's Eve ball drops in Times Square — Scu ba, CC0, source
• The Vienna Philharmonic gives its first New Year's Concert — No machine-readable author provided. PAKES86 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source

Festivals of Asia

• China makes the Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn festivals public holidays — Fumikas Sagisavas, CC0, source
• China officially names the Lunar New Year the 'Spring Festival' — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• China's state TV airs its first Spring Festival Gala — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• Harbin launches its annual International Ice and Snow Festival — GBY at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Kyoto's Gion Matsuri festival begins as a ritual against a plague — Stillman, E. G., 1884 - 1949, Public domain, source
• Singapore holds its first Chingay Parade for Lunar New Year — Fortresseconomist, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Students build the first snow statues of the Sapporo Snow Festival — U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Fischer, Public domain, source
• The UN adds Lunar New Year to its list of official floating holidays — Horizon206, CC0, source
• UNESCO adds China's Spring Festival to its cultural heritage list — Sebastian Dooris from Dublin, Ireland, CC0, source

Giving thanks

• Canada fixes Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October — Peggy Greb, Public domain, source
• Canada makes Thanksgiving an annual national holiday — McLaughlin, D.A., Public domain, source
• Congress fixes Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November — Architect of the Capitol, Public domain, source
• George H. W. Bush makes the presidential turkey pardon official — Trump White House Archived from Washington, DC, Public domain, source
• George Washington proclaims the first national Thanksgiving Day — Gilbert Stuart, Public domain, source
• Lincoln makes Thanksgiving a national holiday after Sarah Josepha Hale's campaign — painted by James Reid Lambdin (1807-1889), Public domain, source
• Macy's holds its first Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York — Not stated, courtesy of Bill Smith collection, Public domain, source
• Pilgrims and the Wampanoag share a harvest feast at Plymouth — Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, Public domain, source
• Roosevelt moves Thanksgiving a week earlier, dubbed 'Franksgiving' — Vincenzo Laviosa, Public domain, source

Carnival time

• Claudia Jones organizes an indoor Caribbean carnival in London — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Cologne holds its first Rose Monday carnival parade — Simon Meister, Public domain, source
• Rex, King of Carnival, debuts in New Orleans with purple, green and gold — Uncredited for Rex / School of Design, Public domain, source
• Rio de Janeiro opens the Sambadrome for its carnival parades — Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• Sydney holds its first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras — Hasitha Tudugalle, CC BY 2.0, source
• The Carnival of Venice is revived after a long absence — Frank Kovalchek from Anchorage, Alaska, USA, CC BY 2.0, source
• The first Notting Hill street festival is held in London — Kinitrupti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Mystick Krewe of Comus stages New Orleans' first krewe parade — Staff of the Picayune / School of Design, Public domain, source
• UNESCO honors the Carnival of Binche in Belgium as a world masterpiece — Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire), Public domain, source

Festivals worth the trip

• A food fight in Buñol, Spain, starts the La Tomatina festival — Graham McLellan from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, source
• Albuquerque holds its first International Balloon Fiesta — Deb Haaland, Public domain, source
• Hemingway's 'The Sun Also Rises' makes Pamplona's San Fermín world-famous — Julio Altadill, Public domain, source
• Munich celebrates a royal wedding with the first Oktoberfest — Toni Sala, CC0, source
• Munich's mayor taps the first Oktoberfest keg with 'O'zapft is!' — Renardo la vulpo, CC0, source
• The first Burning Man figure is burned on a San Francisco beach — BLM Nevada, Public domain, source
• The first Calgary Stampede rodeo is held in Canada — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe are held — Derek Harper, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The Netherlands celebrates its first King's Day in orange — Alf van Beem, Public domain, source

National days and parades

• All Australian states first celebrate Australia Day on January 26 — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Chicago dyes its river green for St. Patrick's Day — User:Knowledge Seeker, Public domain, source
• Dominion Day is renamed Canada Day — V. L., CC0, source
• France makes July 14, Bastille Day, its national holiday — Jean-Pierre Houël, Public domain, source
• Juneteenth becomes a US federal holiday — Mrs. Charles Stephenson (Grace Murray), Public domain, source
• New York holds its first St. Patrick's Day parade — Sgt. Randall Clinton, Public domain, source
• Philadelphia marks the first Fourth of July with fireworks — Robin Miller, National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain, source
• St. Patrick's Day becomes a public holiday in Ireland — Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, source
• The US observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the first time — New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: DeMarsico, Dick, photographer., Public domain, source

World days

• International Women's Day is celebrated for the first time — Freedom Socialist Party (U.S.), sponsor/advertiser, Public domain, source
• Millions of Americans take part in the first Earth Day — John McConnell (flag designer)NASA (Earth photograph)SiBr4 (flag image), Public domain, source
• Sydney switches off its lights for the first Earth Hour — Agods at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The first Arbor Day is held in Nebraska, with about a million trees planted — U.S. Air Force photo by Halle Thornton, Public domain, source
• The first World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 — U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from USA, Public domain, source
• The UN establishes Universal Children's Day — Iraqi Post, Public domain, source
• The UN holds the first World Water Day — Skitterphoto, CC0, source
• UNESCO celebrates the first World Book Day on April 23 — Alexander Grey, CC0, source
• Workers in many countries march on the first International Workers' Day — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Reforming the calendar

• Britain and its colonies switch calendars, skipping eleven days — William Hoare, Public domain, source
• Dionysius Exiguus introduces counting years 'Anno Domini' — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Julius Caesar's new Julian calendar takes effect — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Napoleon abolishes the French Republican calendar — Andrea Appiani, Public domain, source
• Pope Gregory XIII's new calendar skips ten days in October — Lavinia Fontana, Public domain, source
• Revolutionary France adopts a new calendar with ten-day weeks — Debucourt, Philibert-Louis (1755-1832). Graveur Debucourt, Philibert-Louis (1755-1832). Dessinateur du modèle, Public domain, source
• Soviet Russia switches to the Gregorian calendar — LvivForev, CC0, source
• The new Republic of China adopts the Gregorian calendar — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Turkey adopts the Gregorian calendar under Atatürk — Original photographer unknown., Public domain, source

Days off and remembrance

• Americans decorate soldiers' graves on the first Decoration Day — Protoant, Public domain, source
• Armistice Day is renamed Veterans Day in the United States — Department of Defense. Defense Audiovisual Agency; Scene Camera Operator: Mickey Sanborn, Public domain, source
• Britain and its allies mark the first Armistice Day — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Britain's Bank Holidays Act gives workers new days off — Lock & Whitfield, Public domain, source
• French workers win paid holidays for the first time — Guallendra, CC0, source
• Labor Day becomes a federal holiday in the United States — Charles Milton Bell, Public domain, source
• New York workers hold the first Labor Day parade — Bain News Service photograph, Public domain, source
• The first poppy appeal sells red poppies to support veterans — George Chernilevsky, Public domain, source
• The US moves several holidays to Mondays for long weekends — Cecil W. Stoughton, Public domain, source

Iconic Brands Are Born

• Coca-Cola is first served at a pharmacy in Atlanta — Ralf Roletschek, Public domain, source
• Henry Ford founds the Ford Motor Company — Fred Hartsook, Public domain, source
• Ingvar Kamprad founds IKEA in Sweden — Unknown authorUnknown author, CC0, source
• Louis Vuitton opens his trunk-making workshop in Paris — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Ole Kirk Christiansen opens the toy workshop that becomes LEGO — BoxOfNotes, CC0, source
• Ray Kroc opens his first McDonald's restaurant in Illinois — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Red Bull energy drink goes on sale in Austria — Sarang, Public domain, source
• Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Student Carolyn Davidson designs the Nike swoosh logo — LeDroider, CC0, source

The LEGO Story

• LEGO Friends launches with new mini-doll figures — Pascal from Heidelberg, Germany, CC0, source
• LEGO launches Duplo bricks for younger children — Klasbricks at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• LEGO makes its first plastic Automatic Binding Bricks — ruizo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• LEGO Mindstorms brings programmable robots to the toy box — Sanao, CC0, source
• LEGO patents its stud-and-tube brick design — Ziongarage, CC0, source
• Legoland opens in Billund, Denmark — Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Danish toy company adopts the name LEGO, from 'leg godt' — The Lego Group, Public domain, source
• The first LEGO Star Wars sets go on sale — InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The LEGO minifigure makes its debut — Casa Presidencial El Salvador, CC0, source

Toy Box Classics

• Ernő Rubik invents his famous puzzle cube — Erez the III, CC0, source
• Frank Hornby patents the construction toy later sold as Meccano — Wiki.cullin, CC0, source
• Hot Wheels die-cast cars race onto the market — Hans Herrington, CC0, source
• Mattel's Barbie doll debuts at the American Toy Fair in New York — United States Patent and Trademark Office (public domain), Public domain, source
• Mr. Potato Head becomes the first toy advertised on TV — w:National Institutes of Health, Public domain, source
• Parker Brothers begins selling the board game Monopoly — Lucianomarq, Public domain, source
• The first box of Crayola crayons goes on sale — Conrad 7, CC0, source
• Transformers robot toys go on sale — Hiroyuki Obara., Public domain, source
• View-Master 3D viewers debut at the New York World's Fair — Junkyardsparkle, CC0, source

Cars That Changed the Road

• Citroën unveils the 2CV at the Paris Motor Show — K2025, CC0, source
• Fiat launches the tiny Nuova 500 in Italy — Alf van Beem, CC0, source
• Ford introduces the Model T — Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
• Tesla begins deliveries of the Model S electric sedan — Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, source
• The first Willys Jeep rolls off the line for the US Army — Unnamed personnel of U.S. Army, Public domain, source
• The Ford Mustang is unveiled at the New York World's Fair — John Robert McPherson, CC0, source
• The original Mini goes on sale in Britain — John Robert McPherson, CC0, source
• Toyota launches the Prius hybrid car in Japan — 先従隗始, CC0, source
• Volkswagen launches the Golf hatchback — IFCAR, Public domain, source

Car Makers Are Born

• Cadillac is founded in Detroit — Oq10pass, CC0, source
• Charles Rolls and Henry Royce found Rolls-Royce Limited — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Ettore Bugatti founds his car company in Molsheim — Calreyn88, CC0, source
• Ferruccio Lamborghini founds his sports car company — Luc106, Public domain, source
• Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford found the firm that becomes Aston Martin — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Louis Chevrolet co-founds the Chevrolet Motor Company — Marvin Dement Boland, Public domain, source
• Soichiro Honda founds the Honda Motor Company — 財界研究社、撮影者不明, Public domain, source
• Tesla Motors is founded in California — 先従隗始, CC0, source
• The first car to bear the Ferrari name hits the road — Unknown photographer, Public domain, source

Made in Japan

• Kihachiro Onitsuka founds the sports shoe firm that becomes Asics — porcupiny, CC BY 2.0, source
• Konosuke Matsushita founds the company later known as Panasonic — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita found the company that becomes Sony — プレジデント社 撮影者不明, Public domain, source
• Momofuku Ando launches Chicken Ramen, the first instant noodles — Ninosan, CC0, source
• Sanrio creates the character Hello Kitty — Alexis Doine, CC0, source
• The first Uniqlo store opens in Hiroshima — Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, source
• The Toyota Motor Company is founded — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Torakusu Yamaha builds his first reed organ — Yamaha Magna Organ (1935) Console.jpg: 日本樂器製造株式會社 (Yamaha Corporation) derivative work: Clusternote, Public domain, source
• Toyota launches the Corolla, later the world's best-selling car — TTTNIS, CC0, source

Fast Food Giants

• Dave Thomas opens the first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio — Andykatib, CC0, source
• Harland Sanders sells his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise — Norman Rockwell, Public domain, source
• McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal — Melacorr, CC0, source
• McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Moscow — Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY 2.0, source
• Richard and Maurice McDonald open a restaurant in San Bernardino — Cogart Strangehill, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The Big Mac goes on sale at McDonald's across the US — Evan-Amos, CC0, source
• The first sandwich shop of what becomes Subway opens in Connecticut — Andykatib, CC0, source
• Two brothers open the first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas — Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• White Castle opens in Wichita, often called the first fast-food chain — Miyagawa, Public domain, source

Pop, Fizz and Brew

• Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000-year lease on a Dublin brewery — Karlunun, CC0, source
• Caleb Bradham renames his drink Pepsi-Cola — Indy beetle, CC0, source
• Coca-Cola launches the lemon-lime soda Sprite — User:Msdalr1, CC0, source
• Coca-Cola's famous contour bottle is patented — nagualdesign, CC0, source
• Diet Coke is launched in the United States — lokate366 and Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Dr Pepper is first served in Waco, Texas — Marnaq, Public domain, source
• Fanta is created in Germany — Flyachx, CC0, source
• Gerard Heineken buys a brewery in Amsterdam — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• Jacob Schweppe starts making soda water in Geneva — Unklar, Public domain, source

Sweet Treats

• Cadbury launches Dairy Milk chocolate — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Ferrero launches Nutella — Syced, CC0, source
• Forrest Mars starts making the Mars bar in Slough — Asim18, Public domain, source
• Haribo makes its first gummy bears in Bonn — Mx. Granger, CC0, source
• Hershey's milk chocolate bar goes on sale — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Kinder Surprise eggs with a toy inside go on sale in Italy — United States Customs and Border Protection, Public domain, source
• M&M's candies are first produced — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Nabisco introduces the Oreo cookie — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Theodor Tobler creates the triangular Toblerone bar in Bern — Fumikas Sagisavas, CC0, source

Sneakers and Sportswear

• Adolf Dassler registers his company as Adidas — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler set up a shoe factory in Herzogenaurach — Tilman AB, Public domain, source
• Converse launches the All Star basketball shoe — LuanCampSouza93, CC0, source
• Nike releases the first Air Jordan sneaker — Osyffar, CC0, source
• Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman found Blue Ribbon Sports, later Nike — University of Oregon, Public domain, source
• René Lacoste puts a crocodile logo on his tennis shirts — No machine-readable author provided. Marubatsu assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• Rudolf Dassler founds Puma — LeDroider, CC0, source
• Under Armour is founded in Washington, D.C. — Under Armour, Public domain, source
• Vans opens its first shoe store in Anaheim, California — Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Luxury and Fashion Houses

• Christian Dior presents his 'New Look' collection — 投稿者によるスキャン, Public domain, source
• Coco Chanel launches the perfume Chanel No. 5 — arz, Public domain, source
• Gianni Versace presents his first collection — Carlo Raso, Public domain, source
• Giorgio Armani founds his fashion company in Milan — Gerda Arendt, CC0, source
• Hans Wilsdorf co-founds the London watch firm that becomes Rolex — FrankWilliams, Public domain, source
• The Prada brothers open a leather goods shop in Milan — Maurizio Moro5153, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Thierry Hermès opens a harness workshop in Paris — Thank you to indicate this credit line next to the image in case of reuse: Credit: Polymagou - CC BY-SA I'd appreciate if you could send a message on my user talk page if you use this picture out of the Wikimedia project scope ., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Thomas Burberry opens his first shop in Basingstoke — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Yves Saint Laurent founds his fashion house — Reginald gray, Public domain, source

Shops and Department Stores

• Charles Henry Harrod takes over a grocery shop in Knightsbridge — user: Sokkk y, Public domain, source
• Erling Persson opens the first Hennes store in Västerås, Sweden — Warszawska róg Szerokiej w Tomaszowie Mazowieckim, w województwie łódzkim, Public domain, source
• F. W. Woolworth opens a five-cent store in Pennsylvania — Boston Public Library, Public domain, source
• Jack Cohen starts the London market stall that grows into Tesco — British Army, Public domain, source
• Rowland Hussey Macy opens a dry goods store in New York — Julian Lupyan, CC0, source
• Sam Walton opens the first Walmart in Rogers, Arkansas — Wikideas1, CC0, source
• Selfridges department store opens on Oxford Street, London — Anuradha Dullewe Wijeyeratne, 168 / 7, Inner Flower Road, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka. Tel : + 94 11 257 3986 Cellular : + 94 77 761 5870 E - Mail : anuradha.wijeyeratne@gmail.com, Public domain, source
• The first Costco warehouse opens in Seattle — 玄史生, CC0, source
• The first Zara store opens in A Coruña, Spain — Nemigo, Public domain, source

Brands from Scandinavia

• Bang & Olufsen is founded in Denmark — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Electrolux is formed in Sweden — Photo: User:FA2010, Public domain, source
• IKEA introduces the Billy bookcase — Magnus Bäck, Public domain, source
• IKEA publishes its first catalogue — Nyiak Doewral, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• J. C. Jacobsen founds the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen — August Jerndorff, Public domain, source
• Nokia begins as a paper mill in Finland — Gösta Florman, Public domain, source
• Pandora jewelry is founded in Copenhagen — Mabsal, Public domain, source
• The first IKEA store opens in Älmhult, Sweden — Kigsz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The first Volvo car leaves the factory in Gothenburg — Pressens bild, Public domain, source

Logos and Mascots

• A schoolboy's drawing becomes Planters' Mr. Peanut — United States Department of Agriculture, Public domain, source
• Apple adopts its rainbow-striped apple logo — Apple Inc., Public domain, source
• Mercedes registers its three-pointed star as a trademark — MikesPhotos from Pixabay, CC0, source
• Michelin's mascot Bibendum, the Michelin Man, first appears — O'Galop (1867-1946). Illustrateur, Public domain, source
• Ronald McDonald makes his first TV appearance — Official U.S. Navy Page from United States of America, Public domain, source
• Salvador Dalí designs the Chupa Chups logo — Roger Higgins, World Telegram staff photographer, Public domain, source
• The Duracell Bunny first appears in TV ads — Nashucks, CC0, source
• Tony the Tiger first appears on Kellogg's cereal boxes — Unknown, Public domain, source

Household Names

• Earl Tupper founds Tupperware — Tupperware Corporation, Public Domain, source
• Earle Dickson invents the Band-Aid adhesive bandage — User:W0lfie, Public domain, source
• Heinz begins selling tomato ketchup — Chris Woodrich, Public domain, source
• Nestlé launches Nescafé instant coffee — CYYK, Public domain, source
• Post-it Notes go on sale across the United States — UndueMarmot, CC0, source
• Procter & Gamble introduces Pampers disposable diapers — ParentingPatch, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The first Starbucks opens at Pike Place Market in Seattle — Srikar Devaguptapu, Public domain, source
• W. K. Kellogg founds his corn flake company in Battle Creek — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• William Procter and James Gamble start Procter & Gamble — Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States, CC0, source

Reaching for the Sky

• Chicago's Home Insurance Building, often called the first skyscraper, is completed — Chicago Architectural Photographing Company, Public domain, source
• New York's wedge-shaped Flatiron Building is completed — Imelenchon (original work), Public domain, source
• One World Trade Center opens in Lower Manhattan — Jeffmock, Public domain, source
• Taipei 101 opens as the world's tallest building — Syced, CC0, source
• The Art Deco Chrysler Building is completed in Manhattan — Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, source
• The Burj Khalifa opens in Dubai as the world's tallest building — Meandmybrix, CC0, source
• The Empire State Building opens in New York — Sam Valadi, Public domain, source
• The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center open in New York — Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres, Public domain, source
• The Woolworth Building opens as the world's tallest building — Copyright by The Pictorial News Co., N.Y. No. NN 98. {{PD-US}}, Public domain, source

Cathedrals and Basilicas

• Brunelleschi's dome is completed on Florence Cathedral — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Chartres Cathedral is consecrated — Eusebius, Public domain, source
• Cologne Cathedral is finally completed to its medieval design — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Construction of Notre-Dame de Paris begins — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Construction of Salisbury Cathedral begins — John Constable, Public domain, source
• Construction of the Sagrada Família begins in Barcelona — Baldomer Gili i Roig, Public domain, source
• Emperor Justinian's Hagia Sophia is completed in Constantinople — Gaspare Fossati (artist, 1809-1883) Louis Haghe (lithographer, 1806-1885) Adam Cuerden (restoration), Public domain, source
• St. Basil's Cathedral is completed on Moscow's Red Square — Diego Delso, Public domain, source
• The new St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is consecrated — Jolly Janner, Public domain, source

Famous Bridges

• Florence's Ponte Vecchio is rebuilt after a flood — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Japan's Akashi Kaikyō Bridge opens with the world's longest suspension span — Tysto, Public domain, source
• The Brooklyn Bridge opens across New York's East River — Currier and Ives, Public domain, source
• The Forth Bridge, a giant railway cantilever bridge, opens in Scotland — Myself (Adrian Pingstone)., Public domain, source
• The Golden Gate Bridge opens in San Francisco — డా. గన్నవరపు నరసింహమూర్తి, CC0, source
• The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge opens across the Pearl River estuary — N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The stone Rialto Bridge is completed across Venice's Grand Canal — Didier Descouens, Public domain, source
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge opens — thinkrorbot, Public domain, source
• The world's first major cast-iron bridge is erected at Coalbrookdale — Thomas Frederick Burney, CC0, source

Towers and Landmarks

• Construction begins on the bell tower that becomes the Leaning Tower of Pisa — InnovativeEngineering, CC0, source
• Seattle's Space Needle opens for the World's Fair — MyName (Cacophony), Public domain, source
• The Atomium opens in Brussels for the World's Fair — Pierre Blaché, CC0, source
• The Berlin TV Tower opens on Alexanderplatz — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Eiffel Tower is completed for the World's Fair in Paris — Benh LIEU SONG, Public domain, source
• The Great Clock in London's Big Ben tower starts keeping time — Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, source
• The Statue of Liberty is dedicated in New York Harbor — Daniel Schwen, Public domain, source
• The Tokyo Skytree opens as the world's tallest tower — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• Toronto's CN Tower opens to the public — Scott Webb scottwebb, CC0, source

Palaces and Castles

• Buckingham House, the future royal palace, is built in London — William Knight Keeling, CC0, source
• Construction of the Château de Chambord begins in the Loire Valley — Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
• Construction of the Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra begins in Granada — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Frederick the Great's summer palace Sanssouci is completed in Potsdam — Romzig, CC0, source
• King Ludwig II lays the foundation stone of Neuschwanstein Castle — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• The Forbidden City is completed in Beijing — User:kallgan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles is completed — Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain, source
• The main keep of Himeji Castle in Japan is completed — Gorgo, Public domain, source
• The White Palace of the Potala Palace in Lhasa is completed — Tenzin Gyatso, 10th Demo Rinpoche, Public domain, source

Monuments and Memorials

• Nelson's Column is completed in London's Trafalgar Square — William Henry Fox Talbot, CC0, source
• The Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• The Brandenburg Gate is completed in Berlin — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Christ the Redeemer statue is completed above Rio de Janeiro — Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
• The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. — Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative work: upstateNYer, Public domain, source
• The stainless steel Gateway Arch is completed in St. Louis — Yinan Chen, Public Domain, source
• The Taj Mahal complex is completed in Agra — Detroit Publishing Co., under license from Photoglob Zürich, Public domain, source
• The Washington Monument's capstone is set in place — U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway, Public domain, source
• Work on the carved presidents' faces of Mount Rushmore is completed — Dean Franklin, Public domain, source

Stadiums

• Beijing's Bird's Nest National Stadium is completed — BD2412, Public domain, source
• FC Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium opens — Mutari 09:33, 21 September 2007 (UTC), Public domain, source
• Fenway Park opens in Boston — The Union News Co., Public domain, source
• Houston's Astrodome opens as the first domed sports stadium — User Montrose Patriot on en.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Lord's Cricket Ground opens at its current site in London — Robert Drummond, CC0, source
• Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium opens — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Munich's color-changing Allianz Arena opens — Ildefonk, Public domain, source
• The Maracanã Stadium opens in Rio de Janeiro — ianjvoos, CC0, source
• The original Wembley Stadium with its twin towers opens in London — User:Gary Watson, Public domain, source

Temples and Mosques

• Shah Jahan's Jama Masjid mosque is completed in Delhi — Sripathroy, CC0, source
• Sinan's Süleymaniye Mosque is completed in Istanbul — http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?pp/fsaall,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,pan,horyd,genthe,var,cai,cd,hh,yan,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,iucpub,tgmi,lamb,hec,krb:@FIELD(SUBJ+@band(+Photochrom+prints+Color+1890+1900++)), Public domain, source
• The Akshardham temple complex opens in Delhi — Swaminarayan Sanstha, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Badshahi Mosque is completed in Lahore — John McCosh, Public domain, source
• The great Brihadisvara Temple is completed in Thanjavur, India — John Bluck / After Henry Salt, Public domain, source
• The Hassan II Mosque, with its towering minaret, is completed in Casablanca — Associated Press/Michael Goldsmith, Public domain, source
• The mud-brick Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali is rebuilt — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The Temple of Heaven is completed in Beijing — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source

Great Museums

• Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opens — Nicolas Vigier from Paris, France, CC0, source
• Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral Guggenheim Museum opens in New York — Matpti, CC0, source
• I. M. Pei's glass pyramid opens at the Louvre — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• The British Museum opens to the public in London — Andy Li, CC0, source
• The Hermitage in Saint Petersburg opens to the public — Zmorgan, Public domain, source
• The inside-out Centre Pompidou opens in Paris — JLPC, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The Louvre opens as a public art museum in Paris — Hubert Robert, Public domain, source
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens its doors in New York — Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
• The Prado Museum opens in Madrid — José María Avrial y Flores, Public domain, source

Canals, Tunnels and Dams

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates the Hoover Dam — Cliff Segerblom, Public domain, source
• The Afsluitdijk dam is closed, sealing off the Zuiderzee — Joost Evers / Anefo, CC0, source
• The Canal du Midi is completed, linking the Atlantic and the Mediterranean — Havang(nl), CC0, source
• The Channel Tunnel opens between England and France — Prolete, CC0, source
• The Erie Canal opens, linking the Great Lakes to New York City — Published for Herrmann J. Meyer, 164 William Street, New York City, Public domain, source
• The Gotthard Base Tunnel opens as the world's longest rail tunnel — Hannes Ortlieb (Diskussion), CC BY-SA 3.0 de, source
• The Gotthard rail tunnel opens through the Swiss Alps — Wehrli, Zürich, Public domain, source
• The Panama Canal opens to shipping — Panama Canal Company. 7/1/1951-10/1/1979, Public domain, source
• The Thames Tunnel opens as the first tunnel under a navigable river — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source

Modernist Icons

• Brasília is inaugurated as Brazil's new capital — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Le Corbusier's chapel at Ronchamp is completed — Abbé Tournier, Public domain, source
• Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye is completed near Paris — Wasily, CC0, source
• Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building is completed in New York — Max Hermus at Dutch Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Moshe Safdie's stacked-box Habitat housing opens in Montreal — AlainV at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• The Bauhaus school building by Walter Gropius opens in Dessau — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The flower-shaped Lotus Temple is completed in New Delhi — Aashaa, CC0, source
• The Reichstag reopens in Berlin with Norman Foster's glass dome — Perituss, CC0, source
• The United Nations Headquarters is completed in New York — Horizon206, CC0, source

London Landmarks

• A reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe opens on the South Bank — Schlaier, Public domain, source
• Construction of Christopher Wren's St Paul's Cathedral begins — Red Star News Co., London, Public domain, source
• Henry III's rebuilt Westminster Abbey is consecrated — Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
• Old London Bridge, lined with houses, is completed in stone — Edward William Cooke, CC0, source
• St Pancras railway station opens in London — Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• The London Eye observation wheel opens to the public — Perituss, CC0, source
• The Royal Festival Hall opens for the Festival of Britain — Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
• The Shard skyscraper is inaugurated in London — Perituss, CC0, source
• Tower Bridge opens across the Thames — Photochrom Print Collection, Public domain, source

Stations and Airports

• Berlin Brandenburg Airport finally opens after long delays — NutzerAusBerlin, CC0, source
• Eero Saarinen's TWA Flight Center opens at New York's Idlewild Airport — Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States, CC0, source
• Grand Central Terminal opens in New York — D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, source
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Paddington station opens in London — HTUK at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport opens — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• The Gare d'Orsay railway station opens in Paris — Agence de presse Meurisse. Agence photographique (commanditaire), Public domain, source
• Tokyo Station's red-brick Marunouchi building opens — Daderot, Public domain, source
• Victoria Terminus, now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, is completed in Bombay — Sntshkumar750, CC0, source

Landmarks of Asia

• Construction of the Grand Palace in Bangkok begins — Hiart, CC0, source
• Singapore's Marina Bay Sands resort opens — Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Charminar is built in Hyderabad, India — Photocurry, CC0, source
• The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, is built as a retreat in Kyoto — Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The Great Buddha statue at Tōdai-ji in Nara is dedicated — Balon Greyjoy, CC0, source
• The Hōryū-ji temple is founded near Nara in Japan — Daderot, CC0, source
• The Phoenix Hall of Byōdō-in temple is completed near Kyoto — Marco Almbauer, CC0, source
• The red-and-white Tokyo Tower is completed — Syced, CC0, source
• The Victoria Memorial opens in Kolkata — DeepanjanGhosh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Renaissance and Baroque

• Bernini completes the colonnade of St. Peter's Square — Bj.schoenmakers, CC0, source
• Brunelleschi begins the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence — fotograaf: anoniem, CC0, source
• Construction of the royal monastery of El Escorial begins near Madrid — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Construction of the Royal Palace of Caserta begins near Naples — Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Henry VI lays the first stone of King's College Chapel in Cambridge — William Henry Fox Talbot, Public domain, source
• Michelangelo's dome of St. Peter's Basilica is completed — Fo Std Mkii, CC0, source
• Pope Julius II lays the foundation stone of the new St. Peter's Basilica — Jebulon, CC0, source
• The Spanish Steps are completed in Rome — Perituss, CC0, source
• The Trevi Fountain is completed in Rome — Wilfredor, CC0, source

Great Explorers

• Admiral Zheng He sets sail on the first of his great treasure voyages — Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0, source
• Christopher Columbus reaches the Americas — Sebastiano del Piombo, Public domain, source
• Henry Morton Stanley finds David Livingstone in Africa — Thomas Annan / Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Ibn Battuta leaves Tangier on travels that span much of the known world — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• James Cook charts the east coast of Australia — en:User:John Hill, Public domain, source
• Lewis and Clark set off to explore the American West — Charles Marion Russell, Public domain, source
• Marco Polo sets out from Venice on his journey to China — Salviati, Public domain, source
• Norse explorers cut timber at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland — Christian Krohg, Public domain, source
• Vasco da Gama reaches India by sailing around Africa — Unknown master of the Portuguese School.., Public domain, source

Conquering the Peaks

• A Nepali team makes the first winter ascent of K2 — Vittorio Sella, Public domain, source
• Climbers reach the summit of Denali, North America's highest peak — Denali National Park and Preserve, Public domain, source
• Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Everest — Pix Magazine photographer, Public domain, source
• Edward Whymper's team makes the first ascent of the Matterhorn — Sam Ferrara samferrara, CC0, source
• George Mallory and Andrew Irvine vanish high on Mount Everest — Sandy Wollaston, Public domain, source
• Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller reach the top of Kilimanjaro — Rebeccananonof, CC0, source
• Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to climb Everest — Alfonso.mnr, CC0, source
• Mont Blanc, the highest peak of the Alps, is climbed for the first time — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Reinhold Messner becomes the first to climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks — A.Savin, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Around the World

• Francis Drake returns to England after sailing around the world — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Joshua Slocum completes the first solo sailing voyage around the world — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Reporter Nellie Bly completes a record trip around the world in 72 days — H. J. Myers, photographer, Public domain, source
• Robin Knox-Johnston completes the first solo non-stop sail around the world — GeorgeCaulfield, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Solar Impulse 2 completes a flight around the world on solar power alone — Syced, CC0, source
• Submarine USS Triton sails around the world without surfacing — Official U.S. Navy (caption), Public domain, source
• The Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon flies non-stop around the world — Unknown, CC0, source
• The ship Victoria returns to Spain after the first voyage around the world — Abraham Ortelius, Public domain, source
• US Army pilots complete the first flight around the world — The Joseph Baillargeon Douglas World Cruisers Photograph Collection/The Museum of Flight, Public domain, source

Race to the Poles

• Explorers sight the Antarctic mainland for the first time — Unknown, Public domain, source
• Fridtjof Nansen's ship Fram sets out to drift across the Arctic ice — UnknownUnknown , Archival Photograph by Mr. Steve Nicklas, NOS, NGS, Public domain, source
• James Cook's ships are the first known to cross the Antarctic Circle — William Hodges, Public domain, source
• John Franklin sets sail to find the Northwest Passage, never to return — Illustrated London News - Getty, Public domain, source
• Richard Byrd's crew flies over the South Pole — Underwood & Underwood, Public domain, source
• Roald Amundsen's team becomes the first to reach the South Pole — Anders Beer Wilse, Public domain, source
• Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, weeks after Amundsen — J. Thomson (1837–1921), Public domain, source
• Robert Peary claims to have reached the North Pole — Nadar, Public domain, source
• Shackleton's ship Endurance is crushed by sea ice and sinks — Underwood & Underwood, copyright claimant, Public domain, source

Into the Deep

• HMS Challenger II measures the Challenger Deep, the deepest point at sea — Otto Krummel, Public domain, source
• HMS Challenger sets out on the first global ocean science expedition — William Frederick Mitchell, Public domain, source
• Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan develop the Aqua-Lung for divers — NASA employee, Public domain, source
• James Cameron makes the first solo dive to the Challenger Deep — Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Scientists discover hydrothermal vents teeming with life on the sea floor — Ocean Observatories Initiative, Public domain, source
• The bathyscaphe Trieste dives to the bottom of the Mariana Trench — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The research submersible Alvin enters service — The original uploader was Jholman at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploaded by Aarchiba at en.wikipedia., Public domain, source
• Victor Vescovo completes dives to the deepest point of all five oceans — Vlvescovo, CC0, source
• William Beebe dives half a mile deep inside a steel bathysphere — Unknown, Public domain, source

Age of Discovery

• Abel Tasman reaches Tasmania and New Zealand — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Bartolomeu Dias sails around the southern tip of Africa — F. Benda, Public domain, source
• Ferdinand Magellan sails through the strait that now bears his name — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source
• Francisco de Orellana completes the first descent of the Amazon River — Ranoutofusername, CC0, source
• Jacques Cartier explores the Gulf of St. Lawrence — Auguste Lemoine, Public domain, source
• John Cabot reaches Newfoundland, sailing for England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa becomes the first European to see the Pacific from America — Anonymous (Spain)Unknown author after a 18th-century engraving, Public domain, source
• Willem Janszoon's Duyfken makes the first recorded European landing in Australia — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Polar Firsts

• Børge Ousland completes the first solo crossing of Antarctica — Zero Emission Resource Organisation, CC BY 2.0, source
• Fridtjof Nansen leads the first crossing of Greenland's ice sheet — Henry Van der Weyde, Public domain, source
• Nordenskiöld's ship Vega completes the first voyage through the Northeast Passage — Louis Palander, Public domain, source
• Roald Amundsen completes the first voyage through the Northwest Passage — Unknown, Public domain, source
• The airship Norge flies over the North Pole — Bain News Service, Public domain, source
• The Soviet icebreaker Arktika becomes the first ship to reach the North Pole — Abarinov, Public domain, source
• The submarine USS Nautilus passes under the North Pole — U.S. Navy, Public domain, source
• The Trans-Antarctica Expedition completes a dog-sled crossing of Antarctica — U.S. Navy, Public domain, source

High-Altitude Heroes

• A British-led team reaches the highest summit of Mount Elbrus — derivative work: Crapload Mount Elbrus May 2008.jpg: JukoFF, Public domain, source
• A French team climbs Annapurna, the first 8,000-meter peak to be summited — Ali Sabbagh, CC0, source
• A German-Austrian team climbs the north face of the Eiger — Martin Squarra, CC0, source
• An American team makes the first ascent of Antarctica's Mount Vinson — Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), aboard NASA’s Terra satellite., Public domain, source
• An Italian expedition makes the first ascent of K2 — Jules Jacot Guillarmod, Public domain, source
• Matthias Zurbriggen makes the first ascent of Aconcagua — JLM Cartografia LTDA, Public domain, source
• Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climb Everest without bottled oxygen — Photographer: Alexander Frederick Richmond “Sandy” Wollaston (22 May 1875 – 3 June 1930), Public domain, source
• Reinhold Messner makes the first solo ascent of Everest — No machine-readable author provided. Ocrambo assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source

Shipwrecks Found

• Franklin's lost ship HMS Erebus is found in the Canadian Arctic — James Wilson Carmichael, Public domain, source
• Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose is raised from the sea — Own scan. Photo by Gerry Bye. Original by Anthony Anthony., Public domain, source
• HMS Terror, Franklin's second ship, is found in an Arctic bay — William Henry Smyth / William Henry Smyth, Public domain, source
• Jacques Cousteau locates the wreck of the Britannic, Titanic's sister ship — Allan C. Green, Public domain, source
• Robert Ballard's team finds the wreck of the Titanic — Courtesy of NOAA/Institute for Exploration/University of Rhode Island (NOAA/IFE/URI)., Public domain, source
• Shackleton's ship Endurance is found deep in the Weddell Sea — Frank Hurley, Public domain, source
• Sponge divers find the Antikythera shipwreck off a Greek island — Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, source
• The Swedish warship Vasa is raised from Stockholm harbor — Press photo, Public domain, source
• The wreck of the German battleship Bismarck is found — Unverified, Photo # NH 59671, Public domain, source

Mapping the World

• A French expedition sets off for Peru to measure the shape of the Earth — Louis Figuier, Public domain, source
• Al-Idrisi completes his great world map for King Roger II of Sicily — Konrad Miller, Public domain, source
• Britain's Ordnance Survey is founded to map the country — William Roy, Public domain, source
• Gerardus Mercator publishes his famous map projection — Thomas Kitchin, Public domain, source
• Greenwich is chosen as the world's prime meridian — Perituss, CC0, source
• Martin Behaim makes the oldest surviving globe — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Catalan Atlas, a richly painted world map, is made in Majorca — Cresques Abraham, Public domain, source
• The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India begins — Survey of India, Government of India, Public domain, source
• Waldseemüller's world map is the first to use the name America — Martin Waldseemüller, Public domain, source

Masterpieces of Painting

• Andy Warhol exhibits his Campbell's Soup Cans — Walter Mori, Public domain, source
• Eugène Delacroix paints Liberty Leading the People — Eugène Delacroix, Public domain, source
• Jacques-Louis David paints the Oath of the Horatii — Anne-Louis Girodet / After Jacques-Louis David, Public domain, source
• Leonardo da Vinci completes The Last Supper in Milan — Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, source
• Michelangelo finishes painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling — By Aaron Logan, from http://www.lightmatter.net/gallery/italy/4_G & Talmoryair, Public domain, source
• Pablo Picasso paints Les Demoiselles d'Avignon — AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Picasso paints Guernica in protest at the bombing of a Basque town — Zarateman, CC0, source
• Rembrandt completes The Night Watch — Rembrandt, Public domain, source
• Vincent van Gogh paints The Starry Night — Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source

The Impressionists and After

• Claude Monet paints Impression, Sunrise in Le Havre — Claude Monet, Public domain, source
• Edvard Munch paints The Scream — Edvard Munch, Public domain, source
• Georges Seurat begins A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte — Georges Seurat, Public domain, source
• Manet's Luncheon on the Grass causes a scandal at the Salon des Refusés — Édouard Manet, Public domain, source
• Matisse and the Fauves shock Paris with wild colors at the Salon d'Automne — Henri Matisse, Public domain, source
• Paul Gauguin paints Where Do We Come From? in Tahiti — Paul Gauguin, Public domain, source
• Renoir paints Bal du moulin de la Galette — Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Public domain, source
• The Impressionists hold their first group exhibition in Paris — Nadar, Public domain, source
• Van Gogh paints his famous Sunflowers in Arles — Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, source

Great Novels

• Daniel Defoe publishes Robinson Crusoe — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes The Great Gatsby — Alfred Cheney Johnston, Public domain, source
• Fyodor Dostoevsky publishes Crime and Punishment — Vasily Perov, Public domain, source
• Gabriel García Márquez publishes One Hundred Years of Solitude — A Voszi, Public domain, source
• Harper Lee publishes To Kill a Mockingbird — Photo credited to Truman Capote., Public domain, source
• Herman Melville publishes Moby-Dick — I. W. Taber, Public domain, source
• J.K. Rowling publishes Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — Bert Seghers, CC0, source
• Jane Austen publishes Pride and Prejudice — Pickering & Greatbatch, Public domain, source
• Miguel de Cervantes publishes the first part of Don Quixote — Juan de la Cuesta, Public domain, source

On the Stage

• Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard premieres in Moscow — Isaac Levitan, Public domain, source
• Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman opens on Broadway — U.S. State Department, Public domain, source
• Goethe publishes the first part of his drama Faust — Joseph Karl Stieler, Public domain, source
• Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House premieres in Copenhagen — Eilif Peterssen, Public domain, source
• Molière's comedy Tartuffe is first performed at Versailles — Pierre Mignard I, Public domain, source
• Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot premieres in Paris — Roger Pic, Public domain, source
• Shakespeare's First Folio collects his plays for the first time — Martin Droeshout, Public domain, source
• William Shakespeare dies in Stratford-upon-Avon — Cropped from original by current uploader. License as before., Public domain, source
• William Shakespeare is born in Stratford-upon-Avon — anonymous, Public domain, source

Poets and Poetry

• Charles Baudelaire publishes Les Fleurs du mal — hrc, Public domain, source
• Edgar Allan Poe publishes The Raven — Unknown authorUnknown author; Restored by Yann Forget and Adam Cuerden, Public domain, source
• Emily Dickinson's poems are published after her death — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• John Milton publishes Paradise Lost — John Milton, Public domain, source
• Rabindranath Tagore becomes the first non-European Nobel laureate in literature — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Shakespeare's Sonnets are published — William Shakespeare, Public domain, source
• T. S. Eliot publishes The Waste Land — Lady Ottoline Morrell, Public domain, source
• Walt Whitman self-publishes Leaves of Grass — Walt Whitman, Public domain, source
• Wordsworth and Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads — William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)., Public domain, source

Sculpture Through the Ages

• Antony Gormley's Angel of the North is erected in England — Tony Grist, Public domain, source
• Auguste Rodin is commissioned to create The Gates of Hell — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Bernini completes The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in Rome — Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Public domain, source
• Farmers in China discover the Terracotta Army near Xi'an — Gary Todd, CC0, source
• Marcel Duchamp submits a urinal titled Fountain as a work of art — Joseph Stella, Public domain, source
• Michelangelo completes his Pietà for St. Peter's in Rome — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Michelangelo's David is unveiled in Florence — Jebulon, CC0, source
• The ancient Laocoön sculpture group is unearthed in Rome — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Greek island of Melos — Unknown artistUnknown artist, Public domain, source

Art Movements

• André Breton publishes the first Surrealist Manifesto — André Breton (1869-1966), Public domain, source
• Filippo Marinetti publishes the Futurist Manifesto — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Gustav Klimt and fellow artists found the Vienna Secession — Conny Duck, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Kandinsky and Franz Marc form the Blue Rider group in Munich — Wassily Kandinsky, Public domain, source
• Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg launch the De Stijl movement — Piet Mondrian, Public domain, source
• Richard Hamilton's collage helps launch Pop Art in London — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rossetti, Millais and Hunt found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood — John Everett Millais, Public domain, source
• The Dada movement is born at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich — w:Marcel Słodki (1892-1944), Public domain, source
• Walter Gropius founds the Bauhaus art school in Weimar — Unknown, Public domain, source

Famous Authors Are Born

• Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime, is born in Devon — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Charles Dickens is born in Portsmouth, England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Gabriel García Márquez is born in Colombia — Eadonias/Rosita Filho, CC0, source
• J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter, is born — Executive Office of the President, Public domain, source
• Jane Austen is born in Hampshire, England — Cassandra Austen, Public domain, source
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is born in Frankfurt — Unknown / Freies Deutsches Hochstift, Public domain, source
• Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, is born — Attributed to Juan de Jáuregui, Public domain, source
• Rabindranath Tagore is born in Calcutta — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Samuel Clemens, later known as Mark Twain, is born in Missouri — A.F. Bradley, New York, Public domain, source

Children's Classics

• A. A. Milne publishes Winnie-the-Pooh — Spictacular (talk · contribs), Public domain, source
• Astrid Lindgren publishes the first Pippi Longstocking book — Tire Burnäs, Public domain, source
• Charles Perrault publishes his Tales of Mother Goose — D J Munro, after Gustave Doré, Public domain, source
• J. R. R. Tolkien publishes The Hobbit — Unknown photo studio commissioned by Tolkien's students 1925/6 (private communication from Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien Archivist, Bodleian Library), Public domain, source
• L. Frank Baum publishes The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz / By L. Frank Baum; With Pictures by W.W. Denslow. Published: Chicago ; New York : G.M. Hill Co., 1900., Public domain, source
• Lewis Carroll publishes Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — John Tenniel, Public domain, source
• Roald Dahl publishes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Carl Van Vechten, Public domain, source
• Robert Louis Stevenson publishes Treasure Island — Robert Louis Stevenson, Public domain, source
• The Brothers Grimm publish their first volume of fairy tales — Hermann Biow, Public domain, source

Romantics to Realists

• Alexandre Dumas begins publishing The Three Musketeers — Nadar, Public domain, source
• Bram Stoker publishes Dracula — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist is published as a book — George Cruikshank, CC0, source
• Charlotte Brontë publishes Jane Eyre — George Richmond, Public domain, source
• Gustave Flaubert publishes Madame Bovary as a book — Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (Nadar), Public domain, source
• Leo Tolstoy completes publication of War and Peace — F. W. Taylor, Public domain, source
• Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein — Theodor von Holst, Public domain, source
• Victor Hugo publishes Les Misérables — Émile Bayard, Public domain, source
• Victor Hugo publishes The Hunchback of Notre-Dame — Étienne Carjat, Public domain, source

Firsts in the Kitchen

• A French chemist invents margarine as a cheap butter substitute — The original uploader was Yazeriazel at German Wikipedia., Public domain, source
• Ice cream cones become a hit at the St. Louis World's Fair — Thegreatmutata, CC0, source
• Nissin launches Cup Noodles in Japan — 毒島みるく, CC0, source
• Peter Durand patents preserving food in tin cans — Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Pizza Margherita is made in Naples in honor of Queen Margherita — Mario56, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
• Sliced bread is sold for the first time, in Chillicothe, Missouri — Saral Shots, CC0, source
• Swanson sells its first frozen TV dinners — Sir Beluga, CC0, source
• The Cronut, a croissant-doughnut hybrid, draws long queues in New York — Missvain, CC0, source
• Thomas Sullivan sends tea samples in silk bags, inspiring the tea bag — Jan Mesaros https://pixabay.com/users/humusak-137455/, CC0, source

Shopping Firsts

• A pack of chewing gum becomes the first product scanned by barcode — Luke, Public domain, source
• A Swedish engineer patents the plastic shopping bag — Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, CC0, source
• Carrefour opens France's first hypermarket near Paris — Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• Diners Club issues the first multipurpose charge card — 663highland, Public domain, source
• James Ritty patents the cash register in Ohio — Wmpearl, CC0, source
• King Kullen opens in New York, often called the first supermarket — Bonnachoven, CC0, source
• Piggly Wiggly in Memphis opens as the first self-service grocery store — Clarence Saunders, Public domain, source
• Sylvan Goldman introduces the shopping cart in Oklahoma — Me (Elsa Versailles), Public domain, source
• Tesco launches its Clubcard loyalty scheme in Britain — Warszawska róg Szerokiej w Tomaszowie Mazowieckim, w województwie łódzkim, PL, EU. CC0, CC0, source

Fashion Firsts

• Cartier designs a wristwatch for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont — Nadar, Public domain, source
• Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patent riveted denim jeans — Olgierd Rudak, CC0, source
• London hatters create the first bowler hat — Phelan, A. B., photographer, Public domain, source
• Mary Phelps Jacob patents the modern brassiere — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Nylon stockings go on sale across the United States — doe-oakridge, Public domain, source
• Queen Victoria popularizes the white wedding dress — Engraved by S Reynolds after F Lock, Public domain, source
• Swatch launches its colorful plastic watches — Bohdan Bazooka, CC0, source
• Vogue hails Coco Chanel's little black dress — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source

Toys and Pastimes

• Merle Robbins invents the card game Uno — en:User:Cburnett, Public domain, source
• Milton Bradley launches the party game Twister — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Pedro Flores starts a yo-yo company in California — Evan-Amos, Public domain, source
• Playmobil figures are introduced at the Nuremberg Toy Fair — DanielMichaelPerry, CC0, source
• The Etch A Sketch drawing toy goes on sale — No machine-readable author provided. Tim Morgan~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, source
• The first crossword puzzle appears in a New York newspaper — Arthur Wynne, Public domain, source
• The hula hoop becomes a worldwide craze — Kürschner (talk) 15:51, 17 July 2024 (UTC), CC0, source
• The Slinky goes on sale at a Philadelphia department store — Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Public domain, source

What We Drink

• Alfonso Bialetti introduces the Moka Express coffee pot — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Angelo Moriondo patents an espresso machine in Turin — Peter krimbacher, Public domain, source
• Bavaria's Purity Law sets the rules for brewing beer — Gamsbart, Public domain, source
• California wines beat French ones at the 'Judgment of Paris' tasting — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Florida researchers invent the sports drink Gatorade — Chris Woodrich, Public domain, source
• Melitta Bentz invents the paper coffee filter — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Nestlé launches the Nespresso capsule system — MallardTV, CC0, source
• Starbucks opens its first store outside North America, in Tokyo — 江戸村のとくぞう, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
• The first pilsner beer is brewed in Plzeň — U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain, source

Eating Out

• Copenhagen's Noma is named the world's best restaurant — Kahlo157, CC0, source
• Michelin publishes its first guide for French motorists — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The first 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' list is published — Wiki.cullin, CC0, source
• The first conveyor belt sushi restaurant opens in Osaka — V0lkanic, CC0, source
• The first Hard Rock Cafe opens in London — Pierre André Leclercq, CC0, source
• The first Horn & Hardart Automat opens in Philadelphia — Miami U. Libraries - Digital Collections, Public domain, source
• The first McDonald's in the UK opens in Woolwich, London — Bruce W. Stracener (WP Talk:Broooooooce), Public domain, source
• The Michelin Guide begins awarding stars to restaurants — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• The Pig Stand in Dallas becomes the first drive-in restaurant — Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0, source

Famous Dishes and Snacks

• Birds Eye launches fish fingers in Britain — Andy Li, CC0, source
• Buffalo wings are first served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo — Coast Guard photo/ Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco, Public domain, source
• Caesar Cardini creates the Caesar salad in Tijuana — Andy Li, CC0, source
• Hormel introduces canned Spam — Ocdp, CC0, source
• Ignacio Anaya invents nachos in Piedras Negras, Mexico — The person who took the photo is unknown, however Ignacio Anaya was the person who purchased it. Luis Ignacio Anaya inherited it after his grandfather's death., Public domain, source
• McDonald's rolls out Chicken McNuggets across the US — Chris Woodrich, Public domain, source
• Sam Panopoulos puts pineapple on pizza in Ontario — Lorenzururu, CC0, source
• The croque monsieur appears on a Paris café menu — Andy Li, CC0, source
• The Twinkie snack cake is invented in Illinois — Evan-Amos, CC0, source

Everyday Firsts

• A British driver gets the first speeding ticket — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Britain launches 999, the world's first emergency phone number — Christoph Braun, CC0, source
• Britain switches to decimal currency on Decimal Day — Scan: Retroplum, Public domain, source
• Ford introduces the five-day work week for its factory workers — Bernard L. Johnson, Public domain, source
• Germany introduces daylight saving time — Wilfredor, CC0, source
• Ireland becomes the first country to ban smoking in workplaces — Melenn14, CC0, source
• The first traffic light is installed outside Parliament in London — Retired electrician, CC0, source
• The Penny Black, the first adhesive postage stamp, is issued — General Post Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Public domain, source
• The United States introduces ZIP codes — Unknown, Public domain, source

Chocolate and Candy

• Ben & Jerry's opens its first ice cream shop in Vermont — Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, source
• Daniel Peter creates milk chocolate in Switzerland — Jebulon, CC0, source
• Enric Bernat launches Chupa Chups lollipops in Spain — solsolet_bcn, Public domain, source
• Frank Epperson patents his frozen treat on a stick, the Popsicle — Kurtkaiser, CC0, source
• Fry's of Bristol makes the first solid chocolate bar — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Rodolphe Lindt invents conching to make chocolate smooth — Lg09 at de.wikipedia, Public domain, source
• Unilever launches the Magnum ice cream bar — User:Qz10, Public domain, source
• Walter Diemer invents pink bubble gum — Alf van Beem, CC0, source
• Wrigley introduces Juicy Fruit chewing gum — Richmond96 (talk), Public domain, source

Holidays and Leisure

• Airbnb is founded in San Francisco — Adrien ldk, CC0, source
• American Express introduces the traveler's cheque — unknown, Public domain, source
• Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp at Skegness — S.C. (EarthRise at en.wikipedia), Public domain, source
• Club Med opens its first holiday village in Mallorca — DimiTalen, CC0, source
• Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California — Alfred A. Si, Public domain, source
• easyJet flies its first route from London Luton — Dylan Agbagni (CC0), CC0, source
• The Interrail pass lets young people travel Europe by train — Deutsche Bahn AG, Public domain, source
• Thomas Cook organizes his first railway excursion in England — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, source
• Tony and Maureen Wheeler publish the first Lonely Planet guide — Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, source