On this Day

ON THIS DAY: Polio vaccine breakthrough announced (1953)

A landmark announcement in 1953 On this day in 1953, Jonas Salk announced a major medical breakthrough: the successful testing of a vaccine to prevent...

Greek Independence Day: How 1821 sparked freedom

400 years under Ottoman rule Greek Independence Day, marks the 1821 uprising against the Ottoman Empire. The uprising is traditionally linked to March 25,...

ON THIS DAY: Union of the Crowns reshapes British history (1603)

In 1603, a landmark moment reshaped the political landscape of the British Isles: the Union of the Crowns. With the death of Elizabeth I...

ON THIS DAY: Pioneer of HIV research, Robert Gallo is born (1937)

On this day in 1937, Robert Charles Gallo was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, a scientist whose work would place him at the centre of...

ON THIS DAY: Visionary author Arthur C Clarke dies (2008)

This day in 2008 marked the passing of one of the most visionary minds of the twentieth century, Arthur C Clarke, a writer whose...