Chronology

A timeline of history.

Events run from the earliest year, including years before the Common Era, then are grouped by century. Only published articles that carry a year are shown.

Jump to 30th century BC 1 26th century BC 2 18th century BC 1 14th century BC 1 3rd century BC 1 2nd century BC 1 1st century 1 4th century 1 8th century 1 10th century 2 14th century 1 15th century 1 16th century 4 17th century 1 18th century 1 19th century 8 20th century 41 21st century 2

Events

Showing 1–11 of 11tal dated events

Active filters Country: United States

16th century

1 events

1587–1590

Roanoke Colony: Mystery of England's First American Settlers

Mysteries & Unsolved United States

In 1590, Governor John White returned to Roanoke and found the settlement empty. The only clue was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a post. The fate of the 115 colonists remains…

19th century

1 events

1880-an–1896

The War of Currents: Tesla, Edison, and the Bet on Electrification

Science, Medicine & Technology United States

Edison wanted the world to use direct current, while Tesla and Westinghouse offered alternating current. Their competition determined how electricity flows into homes to this day.

20th century

9 events

17 December 1903

Wright Brothers 1903: First Powered Flight

Science, Medicine & Technology United States

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright flew for 12 seconds at Kitty Hawk. This flight marked the beginning of the era of controlled powered flight.
1920–1931

Al Capone and the Prohibition Era: A Criminal Empire in Chicago

Crime & Illegal History United States

Prohibition did not eliminate alcohol but created a lucrative black market. Al Capone turned this into a legendary criminal empire.
2 July 1937

Disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937: Pacific Mystery

Mysteries & Unsolved United States

Amelia Earhart vanished on July 2, 1937, while flying to Howland Island. Despite extensive searches, her plane wreckage and remains were never definitively found.
1947–1952

Marshall Plan: US Aid that Rebuilt Western Europe

Modern History United States

The Marshall Plan, worth around $13 billion, helped Western Europe recover after World War II. It also served as a political tool in the early Cold War.
1953–1973

Project MKUltra: When the CIA Studied Mind Control

Secret History United States

For two decades, the CIA ran a secret program to control the human mind, including administering LSD without consent. Files that were supposed to be destroyed revealed everything.
1962

Operation Northwoods: The Secret Plan Rejected by Kennedy

Secret History United States

In 1962, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed false flag attacks to justify an invasion of Cuba. The plan was never executed, but the documents were revealed decades later.
22 November 1963

Assassination of John F. Kennedy: One Shot, Many Versions

Controversial History United States

On November 22, 1963, the US President was shot in Dallas. Over six decades later, documents and theories still debate who was responsible.
16–24 July 1969

Apollo 11: First Steps on the Moon

Science, Medicine & Technology United States

In July 1969, two astronauts walked on the lunar surface while one orbited above. The mission became one of the greatest technological achievements of the 20th century.
July–August 1974

Project Azorian: CIA's Secret Operation to Raise a Soviet Submarine

Secret History United States

In 1974, the CIA built a giant ship disguised as a manganese mining vessel to raise a sunken Soviet submarine from the Pacific Ocean. The operation became one of the most…