2018
A woman in Rome became the first person to receive a bionic hand that can sense touch.
After losing her left hand in an accident 25 years prior, Almerina Mascarello said, “it’s almost like it’s back again.”
Source

2009
The cryptocurrency “Bitcoin” was created, providing a new digital currency.
Source

1999
The Mars Polar Lander was launched.
This 640 pound (290 kg) robotic spacecraft lander was launched to study the soil and climate of Planum Australe, a region near the South Pole on Mars.
Source

1987
Aretha Franklin became the first-ever female artist to enter the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Source

1977
The Apple Computer Company became Apple Computers Inc.
Apple Computers Inc was originally founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, but Wayne sold his shares to Jobs and Wozniak for just $800 before Apple Computers Inc was incorporated.
Source

1959
Alaska became the 49th State to join the United States of America.
Source

1956
A fire broke out at the top of the famous iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
The fire broke out at 19:21 after an electrical fault, and up to 3,000 visitors to Paris’ top attracted were evacuated. It took 125 firefighters and 20 firetrucks to combat the fire.
Source

1870
Workers began construction on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
The bridge’s construction was completed on May 24, 1883, making it the world’s largest suspension bridge.
Source

1842
British Novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine left England for America on board the Britannia ship.
Source

1777
During the Battle of Princeton, British forces were defeated in New Jersey by George Washington’s revolutionary army.
Source

1496
Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tried to fly his famous Flying Machine invention for the first time.
Leonardo da Vinci is known for many things, from his incredible art to his master inventions, and one of the most well-known was his Flying Machine. Unfortunately, his attempt to fly was unsuccessful, but he learned that no man could ever jump high enough to propel his craft.
Source

250 AD
Roman Emperor Decius ordered everyone in the Roman Empire to make sacrifices to the Roman gods.
There were already many Christians in Rome by this point, but the decree did not discriminate. In fact, it was partly targeted at the Christian population who practiced the newly minted religion without the Empire’s permission. Many Christians who refused, including Pope Fabian, were executed.
Source