Discover What Happened Today in History

Famous events, birthdays and milestones

February 1: The First 911 Call That Changed Emergencies Forever

On February 1, 1968, the first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama. Before that day, Americans had to memorize separate numbers for police, fire, and ambulance.

January 31: When 30,000 Soviets Lined Up for Big Macs

On January 31, 1990, McDonald's opened in Moscow after 14 years of negotiations. Over 30,000 Soviets waited in line. A Big Mac cost half a day's wages.

January 30: The Beatles' Surprise Rooftop Farewell

On January 30, 1969, the Beatles played their final public concert on a London rooftop. Police came, traffic stopped, and John hoped they passed the audition.

January 29: The $9 Poem That Made Poe Immortal

On January 29, 1845, Edgar Allan Poe published The Raven for just $9. It made him instantly famous, inspired an NFL team name, and children chased him cawing.

January 28: The Toy That Took Five Days to Perfect

On January 28, 1958, LEGO patented its iconic brick at exactly 1:58 PM. The design took five days but the company survived fires, bankruptcy, and doubt.

January 27: The Wild Side of Mozart Nobody Talks About

Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 and composed over 600 works by age 35. He also wrote songs about bodily functions and mourned his pet bird more than his father.

January 26: The Day Television Was Born in a Soho Attic

On January 26, 1926, John Logie Baird gave the first public TV demonstration in a tiny Soho attic. The distinguished audience watched a fuzzy dummy and shrugged.

January 25: The Winter Olympics That Almost Never Were

On January 25, 1924, the first Winter Olympics opened in Chamonix, France. They were not even called the Olympics at the time and were only renamed later.

January 24: The Phone Call That Saved Disney Animation

On January 24, 2006, Disney announced it would buy Pixar for $7.4 billion. A Hong Kong parade and one phone call convinced Bob Iger to make the deal happen.

January 23: How a Pie Tin Became the Frisbee

On January 23, 1957, Wham-O bought the rights to the Pluto Platter flying disc. The toy's real origin traces back to pie factory workers tossing tin pans.

January 22: The Jumbo Jet That Nearly Bankrupted Boeing

The Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight on January 22, 1970. Pan Am's CEO bet everything on a plane so massive that Boeing nearly went bankrupt building it.

January 21: Christian Dior's Dresses Sparked Street Riots

Christian Dior was born January 21, 1905. His 1947 New Look used 20 yards of fabric when women were limited to three, sparked street protests, and revived Paris as fashion's capital.

January 20: Audrey Hepburn Survived Nazi Occupation Before Becoming Hollywood's Icon

Audrey Hepburn was born January 20, 1929. Before Hollywood fame, she survived Nazi occupation in the Netherlands, carried resistance messages in her shoes, and nearly died of starvation.