This Day in History Class

Roald Amundsen and his expedition became the first people to reach the South Pole, beating Robert Falcon Scott's expedition, on this day in 1911. / On this day in 1948, two engineers from DuMont Laboratories received a patent for their cathode-ray tube amusement device.

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Ibn Battuta, one of the most accomplished travelers of the medieval Islamic world, completed his travelogue known as the Rihla, or Journey, on this day in 1355. / On this day, Ella Baker - an organizer in the Civil Rights Movement who worked with the NAACP, SNCC, and SCLC - was born.

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The Oaks Colliery exploded on this day in 1866. / On this day in 1899, Dr. George F. Grant, a dentist, received the first ever patent for a golf tee.

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Louis XVI was indicted for treason on this day in 1792. / On this day in 1978, a group of robbers affiliated with organized crime stole around $6 million in cash and jewelry from the JFK International Airport in New York.

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Japan's 300 Million Yen Robbery took place on this day in 1968. / On this day in 1907, riots incited by pro-vivisection medical students in London peaked. The conflict centered around the vivisection of a brown dog, its resulting death, and a memorial erected in its honor.

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The Cretan Autonomous State was established on this day in 1898 under the Julian calendar. By the Gregorian calendar, it was December 21. / On this day in 1979, members of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication signed a statement that declared that smallpox had been eradicated worldwide.

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Christina of Sweden was born on this day in 1626. In the new-style calendar, she was born Dec. 18. / On this day, French sculptor Camille Claudel was born.

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Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on this day in 1941, bringing the United States into World War II. / On this day in 1963, instant replay debuted in the CBS broadcast of the Army-Navy college football game in Philadelphia.

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The Halifax Disaster occurred on this day in 1917. / On this day in 1912, the now-iconic bust of Nefertiti was unearthed in Egypt.

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The Mary Celeste was spotted adrift on this day in 1872. / On this day in 1952, a toxic smog that killed thousands of people descended on London.

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