Early Modern
Tycho Brahe and Uraniborg (1576): Astronomy Before the Telescope
Tycho's observations at Uraniborg were the most accurate before the telescope and allowed Kepler to discover the laws of planetary motion.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Early Modern
Diet of Worms (1521): Luther Defies the Emperor Charles V
Luther refused to recant; the Edict of Worms declared him an outlaw and banned his writings, but it was never fully enforced.
Early Modern
Columbus's Third Voyage (1498–1500): Reaching South America
Columbus became the first European known to reach the South American mainland, but lost his governorship and was sent to Spain in chains in 1500.
Contemporary
Torrey Canyon Oil Spill (1967): Britain's Supertanker Disaster
Up to about 119,000 tonnes of crude oil fouled the coasts of Cornwall and Brittany; the disaster led to new international conventions on oil pollution at sea.
Contemporary
Fifth French Republic (1958): De Gaulle's New Constitution
A new constitution with a strong presidency replaced the unstable Fourth Republic; approved by referendum, it still governs France.
Contemporary
Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956): Rosa Parks and a City's Buses
After 381 days the boycott ended when a Supreme Court-backed ruling in Browder v. Gayle declared bus segregation in Montgomery unconstitutional.
Contemporary
Jodrell Bank and the Lovell Telescope (1957): Radio Astronomy
The 76-metre Mark I telescope became the largest steerable radio telescope in the world, gained fame by tracking Sputnik's rocket, and made Jodrell Bank a leading centre of radio astronomy.
Contemporary
First Kashmir War 1947-1948: India and Pakistan's First Conflict
A UN-brokered ceasefire on 1 January 1949 left India holding about two-thirds of the state and Pakistan about one-third, along a line that became the Line of Control.
Contemporary
Czechoslovak Coup of 1948: The Communist Takeover in Prague
President Beneš accepted a communist-dominated government on 25 February 1948, and Czechoslovakia became a one-party state in the Soviet bloc until 1989.
Ancient World
Tyrian Purple: The Phoenicians' Royal Murex Shell Dye
Murex purple became the most prestigious dye of the ancient Mediterranean and a lasting symbol of royal and imperial power.
Ancient World
Chavín de Huántar: The Andean Temple of the Lanzón Oracle
Chavín de Huántar became the leading religious centre of the central Andes and gave its name to the first widespread art style in Peru; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Ancient World
Duke of Zhou: The Regent Who Secured the Zhou Dynasty in China
The Duke of Zhou defeated the rebellion, extended Zhou rule over the east and handed power back to King Cheng, consolidating the new dynasty.