1793

Today in History 09/05 (Reign of Terror)

Execution in 1794 of Robespierre, French revolutionary, who was declared an outlaw by the Convention and he was sent to the guillotine with his supporters (© Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll
In France, a Committee of Public Safety is set up to deal with government enemies in the wake of the monarchy’s overthrow. But safety will not be maintained as in-fighting reaches epic proportions, leaving tens of thousands dead, many by the “National Razor” (guillotine), during the 11-month Reign of Terror.
The Reign of Terror, or The Terror, is the label given by most historians to a period during the French Revolution after the First French Republic was established. Several historians consider the “reign of terror” to have begun in 1793, placing the starting date at either 5 September, June or March, while some consider it to have begun in September 1792, or even July 1789, but there is a consensus that it ended with the fall of Maximilien Robespierre in July 1794.
Start date: Sep 05, 1793
End date: Jul 28, 1794

Execution of the Girondins
The execution of the Girondins
wiki/Reign_of_Terror
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(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll.
Also on this day,

1914 | Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I’s Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
1957 | Sal and Dean hit the road in a bold Beat manifesto as ‘On the Road’ published
Reading more like a prose poem than a novel, the 320-page semiautobiographical work published today journeys across sunbaked tarmacs to define the ethos of the Beat Generation. The rambling, stream-of-consciousness travelogue, ‘On the Road,’ will also launch author Jack Kerouac into the literary stratosphere.
1972 | ‘Black September’ terrorists take Israeli athletes hostage during Munich Olympics
Munich’s Olympic Games are plunged into panic after Palestinian terrorists storm the Olympic Village rooms housing Israeli athletes and staff, killing two, and taking dozens hostage. A rescue attempt by German authorities at the Munich airport will be botched, resulting in the deaths of nine Israelis, five terrorists, and a West German police officer.

Today in History 09/05/17

French infantry in action during WWI (Bibliothèque nationale de France/Public Domain)(1914) Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I's Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
The Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from 6–10 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German armies in the west. The battle was the culmination of the German advance into France and pursuit of the Allied armies which followed the Battle of the Frontiers in August and had reached the eastern outskirts of Paris. A counter-attack by six French armies and the British Expeditionary Force along the Marne River forced the Imperial German Army to retreat north-west, leading to the First Battle of the Aisne and the Race to the Sea. The battle was a victory for the Allies but led to four years of trench warfare stalemate on the Western Front.
Start date: Sep 06, 1914
End date: Sep 10, 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August - 5 September 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August – 5 September 1914

wiki/First_Battle_of_the_Marne
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Today in History 08/10 (Smithsonian Institution)

Exterior view of the Smithsonian Institution in 1967 (© Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)(1846) Senate establishes Smithsonian Institution
The US Senate passes the act organizing the Smithsonian Institution, which will be signed into law by President James K. Polk. The Smithsonian will eventually become the world’s largest museum complex and ‘the nation’s attic,’ with 154 million items in 19 museums, plus a zoo and several research facilities.
The Smithsonian Institution, established on August 10, 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. Originally organized as the “United States National Museum,” that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967.
Website: www.si.edu
Customer service: +1 2026331000
Address: 1000 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, DC 20560
Founders: James Smithson · Joseph Henry · Joel Roberts Poinsett
Architects: Norman Foster · James Renwick, Jr. · Gordon Bunshaft · James Polshek · Charles A. Platt · George Keister · Almus Pratt Evans · Lewis Shulman · Paul L. Wood
Established: Aug 10, 1846

Smithsonian Building
The “Castle” (1847), the Institution’s first building and still its headquarters
wiki/Smithsonian_Institution
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(1846) Senate establishes Smithsonian Institution.
Also on this day,

1519 | Magellan’s fleet sets sail to circle the globe
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads a fleet of five Spanish ships bound westward for an Atlantic crossing, then to sail into what Magellan will name the ‘Mar Pacifico,’ meaning ‘peaceful sea.’ He will die before his one surviving vessel completes the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
1793 | Revolutionaries open French royal art collection to the public
France’s revolutionary government opens to the public what used to be a grand royal residence, displaying a previously private collection of 537 paintings and 184 objects. Paris’ Louvre Museum will grow to hold almost 35,000 works and become the world’s most visited art museum.
1948 | Smile! ‘Candid Camera’ makes its TV debut
The hidden-camera show hits the TV screen a year after its debut on radio as ‘Candid Microphone.’ Creator Allen Funt hosts, playing practical jokes on celebrities as well as ordinary people. The show and specials will air on-and-off for decades.

Today in History 08/10/17

Portrait of Ferdinand Magellan (© DeAgostini/Getty Images)(1519) Magellan's fleet sets sail to circle the globe
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads a fleet of five Spanish ships bound westward for an Atlantic crossing, then to sail into what Magellan will name the 'Mar Pacifico,' meaning 'peaceful sea.' He will die before his one surviving vessel completes the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth, completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Born: 1480 · Sabrosa, Portugal
Died: Apr 27, 1521 · Mactan, Philippines
Spouse: María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa
Children: Rodrigo de Magalhães (Son) · Carlos de Magalhães (Son)
Parents: Rodrigo de Magalhães (Father) · Alda de Mesquita (Mother)
Siblings: Genebra de Magalhães (Sister) · Aires de Magalhães (Sister) · Diogo de Sousa (Brother) · Isabel de Magalhães · Duarte de Sousa
Highlights
  • 1511: In 1511, under the new governor Afonso de Albuquerque, Magellan and Serrão participated in the conquest of Malacca.

  • 1512: After the conquest their ways parted: Magellan was promoted, with a rich plunder and, in the company of a Malay he had indentured and baptized Enrique of Malacca, he returned to Portugal in 1512.

  • 1517: In October 1517 in Seville, Magellan contacted Juan de Aranda, Factor of the Casa de Contratación.

  • 1518: On 22 March 1518 the king named Magellan and Faleiro captains so that they could travel in search of the Spice Islands in July.

  • 1519: On 10 August 1519, the five ships under Magellan's command left Seville and descended the Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the river.

  • 1521: Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521 in Mactan, Philippines.

Magellan Elcano Circumnavigation
The Magellan–Elcano voyage. Victoria, one of the original five ships, circumnavigated the globe, finishing 16 months after Magellan's death.

wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan
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