Historical Events.
Browse battles, discoveries, political turning points and other events represented by titles in the catalog.
1996 Mount Everest disaster
10.05.1996 → 11.05.1996
Multiple mountaineers died in a violent storm during summit attempts on Everest in May 1996.
Rwandan genocide
07.04.1994 → 15.07.1994
Also known as 1994 Genocide against Tutsi · génocide au Rwanda · génocide contre les Tutsis de 1994
Extremist authorities and militia carried out a genocide principally against Tutsi civilians in Rwanda in 1994.
Battle of Mogadishu (1993)
03.10.1993 → 04.10.1993
U.S. forces and Somali militia fought in Mogadishu during an attempted capture mission.
Oslo Accords
13.09.1993
Israeli and Palestinian leaders signed the Oslo Declaration of Principles after secret negotiations.
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
02.08.1990
Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, triggering international military intervention and the Gulf War.
Fall of the Berlin Wall
09.11.1989
Also known as Berlin Duvarı'nın Yıkılışı · Berlin Wall demolition · Berlin Wall fall
The opening of the Berlin Wall marked the collapse of the physical division between East and West Berlin and initiated the end of the divided-city order.
1988 Chilean national plebiscite
05.10.1988
Chilean voters rejected the extension of Augusto Pinochet's presidency in a landmark plebiscite.
June Democratic Struggle
10.06.1987 → 29.06.1987
Also known as June Democracy Movement · June Struggle · Juni-Aufstand
South Korean democracy protests forced concessions toward direct presidential elections in June 1987.
Chernobyl disaster
26.04.1986
Also known as 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster · accidente de Chernóbil · accidente nuclear de Chernóbil
The catastrophic April 26, 1986 accident at Reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, followed by radioactive releases, evacuation, emergency response, and an extensive containment effort.
Trial of the Juntas (Argentina)
1985
Argentine prosecutors tried members of the former military dictatorship for crimes committed during the Dirty War.
1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt
23.02.1981 → 24.02.1981
Also known as 1981 İspanyol darbe girişimi · 1981 Spanish coup d'etat · 23-F
A failed attempt to seize the Spanish parliament and overturn democratic government occurred in February 1981.
Gwangju Uprising
18.05.1980 → 27.05.1980
Also known as Gwangju-Aufstand · Gwangju Ayaklanması · Gwangju massacre
South Korean pro-democracy protests in Gwangju were violently suppressed by military forces in May 1980.
December Twelfth military coup
12.12.1979
South Korean military officers led by Chun Doo-hwan seized control of key military institutions in December 1979.
Frost–Nixon interviews
1977
David Frost's televised interviews with former President Richard Nixon became a major public examination of Watergate.
Fall of Saigon
30.04.1975
North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, ending the war and precipitating political reunification under communist leadership.
1973 Chilean coup d'état
11.09.1973
Also known as 11 de setembro de 1973 · 11. September 1973 · 1973 Şili Darbesi
The Chilean armed forces overthrew Salvador Allende's government in September 1973.
1972 Andes plane crash
13.10.1972
Also known as 1972 Andes flight disaster · Accidente aéreo de los Andes · Accidente del vuelo 571 de la fuerza aerea uruguaya
Flight 571 crashed in the Andes, leading survivors to endure extreme conditions before rescue.
Munich massacre (1972)
05.09.1972 → 06.09.1972
Members of a Palestinian militant group took Israeli Olympic team members hostage in Munich, ending in their deaths and a failed rescue.
Bloody Sunday (1972)
30.01.1972
British troops shot civil rights demonstrators in Derry on 30 January 1972.
Watergate scandal
1972 → 1974
Investigations into the Watergate break-in and cover-up precipitated the resignation of U.S. President Nixon.
Publication of the Pentagon Papers
13.06.1971
The publication of classified Vietnam War history exposed government decision-making and sparked a major press-freedom dispute.
December 1970 protests in Poland
14.12.1970 → 22.12.1970
Workers' protests on the Polish Baltic coast were violently suppressed by communist authorities in December 1970.
Apollo 13 oxygen tank explosion
13.04.1970
An oxygen tank exploded aboard Apollo 13, forcing cancellation of the landing and a difficult crew rescue.
Apollo 11 Moon landing
20.07.1969
The first crewed lunar landing on 20 July 1969, when NASA Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin reached the Moon while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit.
Apollo 8 first crewed lunar orbit
24.12.1968
Apollo 8 became the first crewed spacecraft to enter lunar orbit in December 1968.
Tet Offensive
1968
North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched coordinated attacks across South Vietnam in 1968.
Apollo 1 cabin fire
27.01.1967
Three astronauts died when fire engulfed the Apollo 1 command module during a ground test.
Aberfan disaster
21.10.1966
Also known as Aberfan Faciası · Catástrofe de Aberfan · catastrophe d'Aberfan
A colliery spoil tip collapsed on the Welsh village of Aberfan, killing 144 people, most of them children.
Selma to Montgomery marches
07.03.1965 → 25.03.1965
Civil-rights activists marched in Alabama to advance voting rights, culminating in a march to Montgomery.
Cuban Missile Crisis
16.10.1962 → 28.10.1962
Also known as 1962 Küba Füze Krizi · affaire des missiles de Cuba · crise de Cuba
U.S. and Soviet leaders confronted nuclear escalation after discovery of Soviet missile sites in Cuba.
Capture of Adolf Eichmann
11.05.1960
Israeli operatives captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and transported him to Israel for trial.
Death of Joseph Stalin
05.03.1953
Stalin's death created a Soviet power struggle and opened a new phase of leadership change.
Great Smog of London (1952)
05.12.1952 → 09.12.1952
Severe air pollution engulfed London for several days in December 1952 and caused thousands of deaths.
Battle of Chosin Reservoir
27.11.1950 → 13.12.1950
Also known as bataille du réservoir de Chosin · Batalha de Chosin Reservoir · batalla de la reserva de Chosin
UN and Chinese troops fought around the Chosin Reservoir in a crucial Korean War engagement.
Chinese invasion of Tibet
06.10.1950 → 23.05.1951
Also known as Anexação do Tibete pela República Popular da China · Anexión del Tíbet a la República Popular de China · Annessione cinese del Tibet
The People's Liberation Army's advance into Tibet in 1950 ends the period of relative isolation represented in the film and prompts Harrer's departure.
Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
30.01.1948
Also known as asesinato de Gandhi · asesinato de Mahatma Gandhi · asesinato de Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse in January 1948.
Partition of India
1947
Also known as Indépendance de l'Inde · Partição da Índia · Particion de la India
The partition of British India created India and Pakistan amid mass migration and communal violence.
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
1946 → 1948
Allied powers prosecuted senior Japanese leaders for wartime crimes at the Tokyo tribunal.
Nuremberg Trial of major war criminals
20.11.1945 → 01.10.1946
Also known as Gerichtssaal 600 · Juicio de Nüremberg · Juicios de Nuremberg
The International Military Tribunal prosecuted leading Nazi officials for crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Japanese surrender announcement (1945)
15.08.1945
Emperor Hirohito's announcement of surrender followed intense internal debate and ended fighting for Japan.
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
06.08.1945
Also known as atak atomowy na Hiroszimę · bombardamento atomico di Hiroshima · bombardeamento atómico de Hiroshima
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands directly and exposing survivors to radiation.
Trinity nuclear test
16.07.1945
Also known as Dreifaltigkeitsbombe · El sitio Trinity · Ensayo Trinity
The first test detonation of a nuclear weapon occurred in New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project.
Battle of Berlin (1945)
16.04.1945 → 02.05.1945
Also known as bataille de Berlin · Batalha de Berlim · Batalla de Berlín
Soviet troops captured Berlin during the final weeks of Nazi Germany; the film depicts the collapsing regime in the capital.
Battle of Okinawa
01.04.1945 → 22.06.1945
Also known as bataille d'Okinawa · batalha de Okinawa · batalla de Okinawa
One of the fiercest Pacific campaigns of World War II included the assault on the Maeda Escarpment shown in the film.
Battle of Iwo Jima
19.02.1945 → 26.03.1945
Also known as bataille d'Iwo Jima · Batalha de Iwo Jima · Batalla de Iwo-Jima
U.S. and Japanese forces fought for Iwo Jima in a major Pacific battle.
Operation Market Garden
17.09.1944 → 25.09.1944
Allied airborne and ground troops sought to secure bridges in the Netherlands; the operation failed to achieve key objectives.
Battle of Peleliu
15.09.1944 → 27.11.1944
U.S. Marines and Japanese defenders fought an exceptionally costly battle on Peleliu in 1944.
Warsaw Uprising
01.08.1944 → 02.10.1944
Also known as Alzamiento de varsovia · Insurrection de varsovie · Insurrection de Varsovie (1944)
The 1944 armed uprising of the Polish Home Army and Warsaw residents against German occupation, lasting from 1 August until the capitulation on 2 October. Distinct from the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
20 July plot
20.07.1944
Also known as 20. Juli 1944 · Atentado contra a vida de Hitler · Atentado de 20 de julho
German officers attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler and seize control of the Nazi state.
D-Day
06.06.1944
Also known as débarquement de Normandie · desembarco de Normandia · Desembarques da Normandia
Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.
Arrest and execution of Sophie Scholl
18.02.1943 → 22.02.1943
Sophie Scholl and other White Rose resistance members were arrested, tried and executed by Nazi authorities in February 1943.
Massacres in Volhynia
02.1943 → 1945
Also known as ludobójstwo wołyńskie · Masacre de polacos en Volinia · masacri della Volinia
Ukrainian nationalist forces and local collaborators carried out mass attacks on Polish civilians in Volhynia and neighboring regions during 1943–1945, followed by retaliatory Polish attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
Operation Mincemeat
1943
British intelligence used a corpse with forged documents to misdirect Axis planning before the invasion of Sicily.
Battle of Stalingrad
17.07.1942 → 02.02.1943
The extended struggle for Stalingrad, conventionally dated 17 July 1942–2 February 1943, ending in the defeat of German-led Axis forces and constituting a turning point on the Eastern Front.
Assassination of Reinhard Heydrich
27.05.1942 → 04.06.1942
Czechoslovak operatives attacked Heydrich on 27 May; he died from wounds on 4 June 1942.
Wannsee Conference
20.01.1942
Also known as conférence de Wannsee · Conferencia de Wannsee · Conferência de Wansee
Senior Nazi officials coordinated implementation of the genocidal persecution of European Jews at Wannsee.
Battle of Kokoda Track
1942
Australian and Japanese troops fought along the Kokoda Track in Papua during 1942.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
07.12.1941
Also known as Angriff auf Pearl Harbor · Atak na Pearl Harbor · ataque a Pearl Harbor
The Japanese aerial attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941, prompting the United States to enter World War II.
Dunkirk evacuation
26.05.1940 → 04.06.1940
Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk and nearby beaches during 26 May–4 June 1940, following the German advance in France.
Katyn massacre
1940
Also known as François Naville · Katyn · Katyn Forest massacre
Soviet security forces murdered Polish prisoners and detainees in mass executions during spring 1940.
German invasion of Poland
01.09.1939 → 06.10.1939
Also known as 1939 Defensive War · 1939 Invasion of Poland · Agresja Niemiec na Polskę (1939)
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, initiating the European phase of World War II and destabilizing the multiethnic eastern borderlands.
Attack on Westerplatte
01.09.1939 → 07.09.1939
Polish troops defended Westerplatte against German attacks at the opening of World War II.
Munich Agreement
30.09.1938
Also known as accordi di Monaco · accordo di Monaco · accords de Munich
European powers agreed to the cession of Czechoslovak borderlands to Nazi Germany at Munich.
Bombing of Guernica
26.04.1937
German and Italian aircraft bombed the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.
Nanjing Massacre
1937 → 1938
Also known as Estupro de Nanquim · Masacre de Nankín · Masacre de Nanking
Japanese troops committed widespread killings and violence against civilians and prisoners after taking Nanjing.
Salt March
12.03.1930 → 06.04.1930
Gandhi's march to the sea against the British salt tax became a landmark of Indian civil disobedience.
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
13.04.1919
Also known as Amritsar Katliamı · Amritsar Massacre · Amritsar-Massaker
British Indian troops fired on a crowd at Amritsar in April 1919; events motivated Udham Singh's later campaign.
Gallipoli campaign
1915 → 1916
Allied forces fought an unsuccessful campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula against the Ottoman Empire.
Christmas truce of 1914
24.12.1914 → 26.12.1914
Unofficial fraternization and ceasefires occurred at parts of the Western Front at Christmas 1914.
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
28.06.1914
The killing of Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, which precipitated the July Crisis before World War I.
Sinking of the Titanic
14.04.1912 → 15.04.1912
Also known as desastre del Titanic · hundimiento del RMS Titanic · hundimiento del Titanic
RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic during its maiden voyage, causing the deaths of approximately 1,500 people.
Wuchang Uprising
10.10.1911
Also known as Aufstand von Wuchang · Levantamento de Wuchang · Levantamiento de Wuchang
The Wuchang military revolt sparked the 1911 Chinese Revolution that overthrew the Qing dynasty.