Nelson Mandela passed away today at 95 after a long battle with a recurring lung infection.
Explore his life and legacy with FRONTLINE’s Nelson Mandela timeline, based on the 1999 FRONTLINE documentary “The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela.”
Nelson Mandela passed away today at 95 after a long battle with a recurring lung infection.
Explore his life and legacy with FRONTLINE’s Nelson Mandela timeline, based on the 1999 FRONTLINE documentary “The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela.”
October 11, 1864: Eleanor Roosevelt Born
On this day in 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt was born. For decades, she was the most powerful woman in America.
Niece of one president and wife of another, Eleanor Roosevelt was at the center of much of this century’s history – a charismatic woman of charm and of contradictions.
Explore the timeline of Eleanor Roosevelt’s life, compiled by American Experience.
Source: to.pbs.org
Sept. 1, 1939: Germany Invades Poland; World War II Begins
On this day in 1939, without declaring war, Germany invaded Poland, setting off World War II. The coordinated air-and-land attack was conducted with such brutal efficiency that “blitzkrieg” became a feared offensive tactic. Two days later, Great Britain and France declared Germany.
Explore Ken Burns’s timeline for an extensive study of the events of World War II.
Photo: German troops parade through Warsaw, Poland, September 1939. (National Archives)
Source: to.pbs.org
August 25, 1944: Paris Liberated from Nazi Occupation
On this day in 1944, after four years of Nazi occupation, the city of Paris was liberated by Allied forces. During the occupation, France experienced complications related to having to house the 300,000 members of the occupying German army. Food and resources were sparse and citizens were forced to work against their will for the German war effort.
Check out this Ken Burns timeline, which outlines major events and photographs in World War II from 1939 to 1945.
Photo: Library of Congress
Source: to.pbs.org
August 23, 2012: 100th Anniversary of Gene Kelly’s Birth
On this day in 1912, American performer and choreographer Eugene “Gene” Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most known today for his starring roles in Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris, Gene Kelly is regarded as one of the greatest male stars of all time.
Check out this American Masters timeline of Gene Kelly’s life and career.
Source: to.pbs.org
August 10, 1874: Herbert Hoover Born
On this day in 1874, 31st President of the United States Herbert Hoover, nicknamed “The Great Engineer,” was born in West Branch, Iowa. One of Hoover’s most remembered accomplishments as president is the successful negotiation of the Boulder Canyon Project Act, which eventually led to the construction of the Hoover Dam and Power Plant.
Check out this American Experience timeline outlining the major cornerstones and key players involved in building the Hoover Dam.
Source: to.pbs.org
July 28, 1914: Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia, Starts WWI
On this day in 1914, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The “domino effect” of alliance obligations that ensued effectively started World War I.
See exactly how the beginning of the war played out and the events leading up to it in The Great War’s WWI Timeline.
Source: to.pbs.org
May 24, 1883: Brooklyn Bridge Opens to Traffic
On this day in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic. The first person to cross the bridge was Emily Roebling, wife of project engineer Washington Roebling. Washington Roebling had become sick after taking over for his father, John Roebling, who had died as a result of a freak accident at the construction site.
Having studied mathematics and the concepts of bridge building, Emily assisted her husband throughout the entire construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The period after the Civil War was a time of great transition – and innovation – in the United States. From the Ken Burns’s Brooklyn Bridge site, this timeline shows the progression of the New York-Brooklyn Bridge, which was the premier engineering feat of its time, and puts its construction in greater historical context.
Source: to.pbs.org
DECEMBER 27: APOLLO 8 SAFELY RETURNS TO EARTH (1968)
After a six day journey orbiting the moon, the Apollo 8 landed in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
This photo, called “Earthrise,” was taken by the Apollo 8 crew. For the first time, it showed Earth as it appears from deep space.
The photograph became an iconic image of the environmental movement. Last year, American Experience’s “Earth Days” looked back to the dawn of the modern environmental movement. Watch the full film and read the accompanying timeline.
photo: NASA
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