In History, Today on January 3

Today we explore events from the year 1521 to the year 2019. Events span the globe, from the countries of Papal States, Panama, Saudi Arabia, United States, United Kingdom, Liberia, Italy, N/A.

1521

Rome, Papal States

Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther with the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

1777

Princeton, United States

American Revolutionary War: American forces under General George Washington defeated British forces at the Battle of Princeton.

1833

Falkland Islands, United Kingdom

The United Kingdom claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

1848

Monrovia, Liberia

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was sworn in as the first president of Liberia, marking the country's independence.

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1925

Rome, Italy

Benito Mussolini announced he would take dictatorial powers over Italy.

1959

Juneau, United States

Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state.

1961

Washington, D.C., United States

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba.

1990

Panama City, Panama

Former leader of Panama, Manuel Noriega, surrendered to U.S. forces.

2004

Mars, N/A

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit successfully lands on Mars, beginning its mission to explore the Martian surface.

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2009

N/A, N/A

The first block of the Bitcoin blockchain, known as the Genesis Block, is mined by Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, marking the birth of the cryptocurrency.

2016

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with Iran following the execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, which led to protests and the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran.

2019

Moon, N/A

China's Chang'e 4 becomes the first spacecraft to successfully land on the far side of the Moon, marking a significant achievement in lunar exploration.