Modern Era
Hertz Proves Radio Waves Exist (1887): Maxwell's Theory Confirmed
Hertz generated and detected electromagnetic waves in the laboratory, confirming Maxwell's prediction and laying the scientific foundation for radio.
All Articles
Every Chronicle article on world history, newest first: battles, empires, disasters, discoveries and revolutions.
Modern Era
The Communist Manifesto (1848): Marx and Engels' Pamphlet
A small pamphlet with little impact in 1848 became, from the 1870s onwards, one of the most widely read and influential political texts in history.
Middle Ages
Aztec Flower Wars: Ritual Warfare Against Tlaxcala and Allies
The flower wars left Tlaxcala and its neighbours unconquered but hostile to the Aztecs, which made them willing allies of the Spanish in 1519.
Middle Ages
Yue Fei: The Song General Executed in 1142 and His Legend
Yue Fei was put to death on false charges as the Song made peace with the Jin; he was rehabilitated in 1162 and became a symbol of loyalty.
Middle Ages
Omar Khayyam and the Jalali Calendar Reform (1079)
The Jalali calendar, a precise solar calendar beginning the year at the spring equinox, was adopted; its descendant is still used in Iran.
Middle Ages
Castles of Edward I in Wales: Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech
A chain of castles and fortified towns that secured English rule in north Wales; four of them form a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
Middle Ages
Viking Dublin (841): The Norse Longphort on the Liffey
A Norse fortified base was established at Dublin; it grew into Ireland's leading town and a centre of the Viking trade in slaves and silver.
Middle Ages
Golden Bull of 1222: Hungary's Charter of Noble Rights
Andrew II granted a charter guaranteeing the rights of the royal servants and nobility; it remained a cornerstone of Hungarian constitutional law until 1848.
Early Modern
Catherine the Great: The 1762 Coup and Her Reign over Russia
Peter III was deposed and died in custody days later; Catherine ruled Russia as Empress Catherine II until her death in 1796.
Early Modern
Battle of Bunker Hill (1775): Costly British Victory at Boston
British victory: the colonists were driven off the Charlestown peninsula, but the British lost over 1,000 men killed or wounded.
Early Modern
Kangxi Dictionary (1710-1716): The Great Qing Dictionary
An imperial dictionary of about 47,000 characters became the standard reference for Chinese characters and fixed the 214-radical system still used today.
Early Modern
Battle of Vienna (1683): Sobieski and the Ottoman Defeat
The relief army destroyed the Ottoman siege, saving Vienna and beginning the Holy League war that drove the Ottomans out of Hungary.