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John Bacon Curtis from Hampden, Maine, USA, produced the first commercially available chewing gum, calling it ‘The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum’. Chewing gum has been enjoyed in Central and North America for thousands of years. The Mayans and Aztecs used chicle, a natural tree gum, and the Native Americans chewed on a resin … Read more
Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar, which had first been introduced 170 years earlier by Pope Gregory XIII in February 1582. As a result of this change, Britain lost 11 days from the calendar as the country fast-forwarded from early to mid-September in a matter of hours. Prior to this, Britain had been using the Julian … Read more
Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture of David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Sculpted from a massive block of marble, it took Michelangelo nearly three years to complete—at which point he was still only 29 years old. Intended as an image of the boy who defeated the giant Goliath, it has become a symbol … Read more
Genghis Khan, originally named Temüjin, died in Xingping, Western Xia, in present-day Ningxia, an autonomous region of China. Rising from humble beginnings, he established the largest contiguous empire in history, the Mongol Empire. Known for his innovative military tactics and psychological warfare, he conquered much of Asia and extended his domains into Europe. The name … Read more
One of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa, was stolen from the Louvre in France. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s, it was acquired by King François I of France after Leonardo moved to the Loire Valley in 1516. After the French Revolution in the late 18th century, the … Read more
George A Wheeler from New York is granted a US patent for the escalator, a moving staircase. We take for granted Wheeler’s flat-step moving staircase: today they can be found in towns and cities across the world. However, Wheeler’s moving staircase was never built. Charles Seeberger, inventor from Massachusetts working for the Otis Elevator Company, … Read more
Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, after years of living well beyond his means, declared insolvency. Rembrandt was a brilliant artist but a stubborn, argumentative, and a hopeless spendthrift. He became embroiled in over 20 legal disputes, fighting with his neighbours over his house renovations and with clients over the late delivery of commissioned work. … Read more
Henry VIII watched from Southsea Castle as his favourite warship, the Mary Rose, sank in the Solent, off the south coast of England, with the loss of up to 700 lives. Launched in 1511, the Mary Rose saw service in wars against France and Scotland. In 1545, tensions with France came to a head, and King Francis I … Read more
The 29-year-old English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, an experienced sailor, drowned in a storm in the Gulf of La Spezia, off the west coast of Italy. Accompanying Shelley in his boat, the Don Juan, were his friends: Edward Williams, a retired army officer; naval officer Daniel Roberts; and their 18-year-old boat boy, Charles Vivian. All perished, … Read more
The Treaty of Versailles, officially ending WWI, was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, Paris, France. After five years of war, the treaty was signed between the Allied Powers, which included the United States, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Italy, Japan, and Germany. Germany’s allies within … Read more