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410

Rome was sacked for the first time in approximately 800 years by the Visigoths under Alaric I.

Rome was sacked for the first time in approximately 800 years by the Visigoths under Alaric I.

2012

The NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.

The NASA space probe Voyager 1 became the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.

1875

Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, doing so in approximately 21 hours 40 minutes.

Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, doing so in approximately 21 hours 40 minutes.

1609

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.

1955

Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and…

Pather Panchali, the first film in The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, was released and went on to win many Indian and international film awards.

1955

The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records was published.

The first edition of the Guinness Book of Records was published.

1993

The NASA spacecraft Galileo flew by the asteroid 243 Ida and took photographs that later revealed the first known…

The NASA spacecraft Galileo flew by the asteroid 243 Ida and took photographs that later revealed the first known asteroid moon (both pictured).

1830

Tom Thumb (replica pictured), the first American-built steam locomotive, took part in an impromptu race against a…

Tom Thumb (replica pictured), the first American-built steam locomotive, took part in an impromptu race against a horse-drawn car in Maryland.

1949

The Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear weapons test, detonating the 22-kiloton RDS-1.

The Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear weapons test, detonating the 22-kiloton RDS-1.

1916

Congress passed the Philippine Autonomy Act, the first formal and official declaration of the U.S.'s commitment to…

Congress passed the Philippine Autonomy Act, the first formal and official declaration of the U.S.'s commitment to grant independence to the Philippines.

1842

Under the Treaty of Nanking, an "unequal treaty" that ended the First Opium War, the Chinese island from which Hong…

Under the Treaty of Nanking, an "unequal treaty" that ended the First Opium War, the Chinese island from which Hong Kong would grow was ceded to Britain.

1831

Michael Faraday (pictured) first experimentally demonstrated electromagnetic induction, leading to the formulation of…

Michael Faraday (pictured) first experimentally demonstrated electromagnetic induction, leading to the formulation of the law of induction named after him.

1876

A performance of Das Rheingold (scene pictured) opened the first performance of Richard Wagner's Ring cycle at the…

A performance of Das Rheingold (scene pictured) opened the first performance of Richard Wagner's Ring cycle at the inaugural Bayreuth Festival, attended by emperors and other composers.

1609

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (pictured) demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.

1984

Followers of Osho began deliberately infecting people in The Dalles, Oregon, with Salmonella in the first and largest…

Followers of Osho began deliberately infecting people in The Dalles, Oregon, with Salmonella in the first and largest bioterrorist attack in United States history.

1959

Writer and politician Abdul Muis became the first person to be awarded the posthumous title of National Hero of…

Writer and politician Abdul Muis became the first person to be awarded the posthumous title of National Hero of Indonesia.

1896

Philippine Revolution: In the Battle of San Juan del Monte, the first real battle of the war, a Katipunan force…

Philippine Revolution: In the Battle of San Juan del Monte, the first real battle of the war, a Katipunan force temporarily captured a powder magazine before being beaten back by a Spanish garrison.

1594

King James VI of Scotland held a masque at the baptism of Prince Henry, his first child.

King James VI of Scotland held a masque at the baptism of Prince Henry, his first child.

70

First Jewish–Roman War: Roman forces led by Titus set fire to the Second Temple during the siege of Jerusalem.

First Jewish–Roman War: Roman forces led by Titus set fire to the Second Temple during the siege of Jerusalem.

1952

Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, which later won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, was first published.

Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, which later won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, was first published.