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On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia explodes during reentry. What caused this mission to fail, resulting in the...Read more

Christa McAuliffe is selected to be the first teacher to fly in space aboard the Challenger. Planning to teach lessons to...Read more

On 27 January 1967, a fire breaks-out during a training mission, for Apollo 1 astronauts. The 3 crew members die when they...Read more

An unbelievable tragedy occurs in the middle of the Pacific Ocean when a huge sperm whale rams the Essex, a Nantucket-based...Read more

Welcome to Awesome Stories! Go behind the scenes to learn how this tool helps develop 21st-century teaching and learning...Read more

On the 24th of January, 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, where James Marshall (who was building a saw mill for...Read more

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January 31-February 6

Sun 31

Congress Passes the 13th Amendment, Abolishing Slavery 1865
On the 31st of January, 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery. The bill had passed the Senate months before. The Amendment became law on December 6, 1865, when it was ratified by all the States.
John Marshall and the Concept of Judicial Review 1801
On the 31st of January, 1801, John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. His tenure will prove to be remarkable since he introduces the concept of judicial review in ''Marbury versus Madison.''
Guy Fawkes - Executed for His Role in the Gunpowder Plot 1606
After he was discovered with barrels of gunpowder below Britain's Houses of Parliament, Guy Fawkes was found guilty and sentenced to death. That sentence was carried-out on the 31st of January, 1606.

Mon 1

Columbia-The Black Box Falls to Earth, 2003
In 2003 the Shuttle Columbia incinerated on reentry to Earth, all astronauts aboard died. Some questions were answered by the intact flight recorder found in a Louisiana swamp.
Columbia-Disintegrating Descent, 2003
Two RNAF pilots captured a unique look at the Shuttle Columbia disintegrating in 2003. The pilots were flying over the state of Texas when this footage was recorded.
Greensboro Four- Sit in at the Lunch Counter, 1960
In 1960, four black men sat at the 'whites only' Woolworth lunch counter in North Carolina. Archival footage and interviews provide background on the successful integration.
Ayatollah Khomeini Returns to Iran, 1979
A clip from BBC series, 'Iran and the West', provides background on Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. On this date in 1979 he returned to Iran after 15 yrs in exile

Tue 2

James Joyce Born 1882
James Joyce's published 'Ulysses' in Paris in 1922 (only 1,000 copies!)
Death and Funeral of Queen Victoria 1901
Queen Victoria's funeral, on this day, marked the end of an era. When her son became Britain's monarch, the country moved from the Victorian Age to the Edwardian Age.
Jesse James & the Bushwhacker Connection 1865
Guerilla militants, including a young Jesse James, murdered Union soldiers going home on leave. This is one of the most infamous events in America's civil war.
The Battle of Stalingrad 1943
In 1943 the Battle of Stalingrad was recorded to have ended on February 2nd. A battle between Nazi forces attempting to take the Soviet Union city of Stalingrad.

Wed 3

Mehmet II - ''The Conqueror''- Inherits Ottoman Throne 1451
When he was not-quite 20 years old, Mehmet (Mehmed) II inherits the Ottoman Throne. Two years later, the young man conquers Constantinople, a world-changing event. He changes the city's name to Istanbul (''City of Islam'').
''The Day the Music Died'' 1959
In 1959, a bad-weather plane crash shocked the American public as 3 popular music icons perished all at once. Buddy Holly (22), Ritchie Valens (17), J.P. (''The Big Bopper'') Richardson (28) and their pilot died in the crash.

Thu 4

Yalta-A Conference that Changed the World, 1945
A newsreel from 1945 describes the conference between British, American, and Russian diplomats. This meeting was part of world powers uniting to defeat Nazi Germany.
Unanimous Election of a President, 1789
In 1789 the electoral college of the United States of America chose George Washington as the first president of the new nation.

Fri 5

Rationing Sweets and Chocolates Ends after 10 years 1953
The British government rations sweets and chocolates beginning July 26, 1942. Those restrictions remain in effect until 5 Feb 1953. When sweets are finally off the ration list, the amount of spending for these treats skyrockets in the first year.
Conviction in the Medgar Evans Case 1994
After two previously hung-jury trials, in which the defendant was aided by the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, Byron de la Beckwith was convicted of the murder of Medgar Evans. The conviction occurred on February 5, 1994.
FDR and the Court-Packing Plan 1937
Thinking the U.S. Supreme Court could strike-down his proposals, FDR (on Feb 5, 1937) proposes to increase the number of high-court justices with pro-FDR people. It takes no time whatsoever for political cartoonists to lampoon the idea.

Sat 6

Aaron Burr Born 1756
Aaron Burr, America’s third vice president, was born on this day in Newark, New Jersey. He had an eventful life, including a fatal dual with Alexander Hamilton.
King George VI Dies 1952
Britain's much-loved King, George VI, died peacefully in his sleep during the early morning of February 6, 1952. His daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was traveling for her father when she heard the news that she was now Queen Elizabeth II.