What happened today in history: The RMS Titanic sets sail from Southhampton, The Beatles break up, and more.
837 C.E.: Halley’s Comet Makes Its Closest Ever Pass By Earth
Halley’s Comet comes closer to Earth than it ever had before. The comet, known as a “periodic comet,” passes by our planet roughly every 75 years. It caused a panic when it came close to Earth in 1910, last passed by in 1986, and is estimated to return in 2061.
1815: Mount Tambora Erupts
Wikimedia CommonsAn aerial view of the caldera of Mount Tambora, as seen in 2011.
Mount Tambora erupts on Sumbawa Island in present-day Indonesia. The largest volcanic eruption ever recorded, the eruption had long-term and devastatingly fatal effects. The temperature plummeted across the globe in what’s known as the “Year Without A Summer” as crops failed and at least 80,000 people died from famine or disease.
1834: The LaLaurie Mansion Catches On Fire, Exposing The Horrors Inside
The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans, Louisiana, catches on fire, exposing the horrific abuse that Madame LaLaurie had been inflicting on enslaved people living there. Contemporaneous reports stated that at least eight people were found in a state of mutilation and violent captivity, prompting LaLaurie herself to flee the country and never return.
1845: The Great Fire Of Pittsburgh
Wikimedia CommonsA section of View of the Great Fire of Pittsburgh, an 1846 painting by a witness named William Coventry Wall.
A massive fire destroys 24 blocks of buildings in downtown Pittsburgh, including churches, homes, and businesses. The fire caused more than $12 million in damage, though it left just two people dead.
1866: The ASPCA Is Founded
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh. A philanthropist and diplomat, Bergh had been horrified by the treatment of carriage horses while posted in Russia. Bergh set out to establish an organization to aid “these mute servants of mankind.” The ASPCA continues its work to this day.
1912: The RMS Titanic Sets Sail
Bettmann/Getty ImagesThe RMS Titanic on its doomed maiden voyage in April 1912.
The RMS Titanic begins its journey from Southhampton, England to New York City on its maiden voyage. Just a few days later, at around 11 p.m. on April 14, the ship crashed into an iceberg in the North Atlantic. In just under three hours, the Titanic sank, killing some 800 passengers and 700 crew members.
1919: Emiliano Zapata Is Assassinated
Emiliano Zapata is assassinated in Morelos, Mexico. A Mexican revolutionary, Zapata was killed by men working with Venustiano Carranza, the president of Mexico who opposed Zapata’s ideas regarding land reform. Zapata’s ideas endured, however, and were later included in the 1917 Mexican Constitution.
1955: Ruth Ellis Murders David Blakely
Ruth Ellis shoots and kills her lover David Blakely in London. After being found guilty of murder, Ellis became the last woman ever hanged in the United Kingdom.
1962: Former Beatles Member Stuart Sutcliffe Dies
Stuart Sutcliffe, a one-time member of The Beatles, dies of a brain hemorrhage in Germany at just 21 years old.
1970: The Beatles’ Breakup Becomes Public
Chris Walter/Getty ImagesThe Beatles’ George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon in 1967.
The breakup of The Beatles shocks fans around the world. After rising to prominence in the early 1960s with hits like “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” and many more, the band’s members started to drift apart in the late 1960s. In 1970, McCartney released his first solo album, McCartney, the press materials for which included a “self-interview” wherein he said that the band would not be working together again.
1981: The Brixton Riots Begin
The Brixton riots break out in London. Fueled by tensions between the Black residents of Brixton and the neighborhood’s largely white police force, the riot lasted for two days. It caused £7.5 million in damages, left some 300 people injured, and revealed the nation’s deep racial divide.
