Early Modern
Spanish Missions of California (1769): Junípero Serra's Chain
Spain established 21 Franciscan missions in Alta California between 1769 and 1823, securing its claim to the region at a devastating cost to its Native peoples.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Early Modern
Revolt of the Three Feudatories (1673): Wu Sangui Against Kangxi
Qing victory; the three feudatories were abolished and southern China came under direct imperial rule.
Early Modern
Evliya Çelebi: The Ottoman Traveller and His Seyahatname
Evliya produced the Seyahatname, the longest and most detailed travel account of the Ottoman world.
Early Modern
Diderot's Encyclopédie (1751-1772): The Enlightenment in Print
Completed in 17 volumes of text and 11 of plates, the Encyclopédie became the defining work of the French Enlightenment.
Early Modern
Siege of Leiden (1574): The Dutch Flood Their Land to Win
The Spanish army withdrew after rebel ships reached the city across flooded land; Leiden was relieved on 3 October 1574.
Early Modern
Siege of Cusco (1536-1537): Manco Inca's Great Rebellion
The Spanish garrison held Cusco; Manco Inca withdrew and founded an independent Inca state in Vilcabamba that lasted until 1572.
Contemporary
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: The Boxing Day Disaster Explained
About 230,000 people were killed and some 1.7 million displaced; an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system was created.
Contemporary
Channel Tunnel (1994): Linking Britain and France Under the Sea
The first fixed link between Britain and continental Europe since the Ice Age opened, carrying shuttle trains, Eurostar passenger trains and freight.
Contemporary
Women's Strike for Equality (1970): Marching on Fifth Avenue
The largest women's rights demonstration in the US since the suffrage era drew national attention to the new feminist movement.
Contemporary
IBM Personal Computer (1981): The PC That Set the Standard
The IBM PC became the dominant design for personal computers, and its open architecture and licensed operating system created the IBM-compatible industry.
Contemporary
Libyan Revolution 1969: Muammar Gaddafi Seizes Power in Libya
The monarchy was abolished and the Libyan Arab Republic proclaimed under a Revolutionary Command Council headed by Gaddafi, who ruled Libya until 2011.
Contemporary
Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963): Ending Atmospheric Nuclear Tests
The United States, Britain and the Soviet Union agreed to stop nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater; underground testing continued.