This Day in History

  • First Congresswoman in US History Takes Her Seat (1917)
    on April 2, 2023 at 5:00 am

    Sometimes referred to as the "Lady of the House," Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives and the first female member of Congress. Just days into her term, she drew the ire of the press by voting, along with 56 others, against the resolution to enter WWI. In 1940, Rankin was again elected to Congress and once again voted against entering a world war, though this time she was the only Congress member to do so. What was the Jeanette Rankin Brigade? Discuss

  • Netherlands Becomes First Country to Allow Same-Sex Marriage (2001)
    on April 1, 2023 at 5:00 am

    In 1997, a Dutch parliamentary commission tasked with investigating the advisability of same-sex unions concluded that same-sex couples should be given the right to enter into civil marriages. Legislation was finalized in late 2000, and at the stroke of midnight on April 1, 2001, four same-sex couples were married by the mayor of Amsterdam, making the Netherlands the first nation to legally recognize same-sex marriages. How many same-sex couples took advantage of the new law in that first year?

  • The Eiffel Tower Is Inaugurated (1889)
    on March 31, 2023 at 5:00 am

    Among the most recognized and visited structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower was built beside the Seine River in Paris between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was constructed by 300 workers who joined together 18,038 pieces of puddled iron using 2,500,000 rivets. How many people died during the tower's construction?