This Week In History News, Apr. 25 – May 1

Published April 30, 2021

The U.S. officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, divers uncover a sunken Swiss village, and researchers discover Viking artifacts in an Icelandic cave.

A Century After 1.5 Million Were Killed, The U.S. Officially Acknowledges The Armenian Genocide

Killing Field Of The Armenian Genocide

Wikimedia CommonsArmenian leader Vahan Papazian looks out over the remains of the dead at Deir ez-Zor.

In 1943, in the midst of the Holocaust, Polish legal scholar Raphael Lemkin coined the word “genocide” to describe what the Ottomans had done to the Armenians between 1915 and 1917. Though it remains both widely overlooked and outright denied to this day, the Turks and Ottomans killed 1.5 million Armenians during World War I.

Today, just 30 of the world’s approximately 200 independent states recognize the Armenian Genocide, with the United Kingdom and Israel among those that do not. But now, the U.S. has finally acknowledged this horrific chapter in modern history.

Learn more here.

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Divers Discover A 3,000-Year-Old Sunken Bronze Age Village Beneath A Swiss Lake

Lake Lucerne

Wikimedia CommonsLake Lucerne

For centuries, Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne concealed a secret. Beneath a layer of mud and 13 feet of sparkling blue water, a sunken Bronze Age village lay quietly forgotten — until now.

The village, discovered by underwater archeologists assisting with the installation of a pipeline, completely rewrites Lucerne’s history. It suggests that the region was settled much earlier than previously thought.

Dig deeper in this report.

Viking Sacrificial Cave Intended To Ward Off The Apocalypse Discovered In Iceland

Surtshellir Cave Tunnel

Wikimedia CommonsOne of the many staggering tunnels formed by lava in Surtshellir Cave.

Researchers in Iceland recently unearthed a trove of rare Middle Eastern artifacts dating back 1,000 years near a since-dormant volcano. Most remarkable was a stone, boat-shaped structure they believe the Vikings associated with Ragnarök — a world-ending event that would see their gods killed and humanity wiped out in a fiery apocalypse.

See more here.

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All That's Interesting
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Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
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John Kuroski
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John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.