This article shows major events that occurred on this day in history (to select another date use the menu to find events that occurred on that day).
On This Day
On this day in 1789 George Washington, the first President of the United States of America was sworn into office. George Washington was elected by the 69 presidential electors who voted unanimously in his favour. John Adams was elected as his Vice president. On the 4th of February1792 they were both re-elected for their respective positions for a second term.
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On this day in 1897 following experiments with cathode ray tubes J.J. Thomson suggests the existence of the electron. Until then it was believed that atoms were the smallest denomination of matter making this the first announcement of sub-atomic particles.
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On this day in 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide. As the Third Reich began to weaken and German defeat seems certain to all but the Fuhrer, Hitler and Braun descended into the Fuhrerbunker on the 16th of January 1945. On the 20th of April, Hitler celebrated his 56th birthday with high ranking Nazi officers in the confines of his underground bunker. The Russian troops approach the outskirts of Berlin on the following day and as each day passes his hopes of the “Third Reich” (third German Empire) lasting a thousand years eroded to nothing. Herman Goring sent a telegram to Hitler suggesting that as Hitler’s designated successor and with Hitler surrounded that he should take control of the German forces. Hitler was furious and he replied via telegram to say that he considered this an act of high treason but he would spare Goring if he resigned and Goring Promptly obeyed. On the 28th of April news of Himmler’s failed surrender attempt was released on the BBC. The message was intercepted by German intelligence and when Hitler heard he was heartbroken. He also received news of the execution of Long term friend and Italian Dictator Mussolini, whose body was left in the gutter to rot. Although many had accepted German defeat a while ago it was not until the 28th of April that Hitler had finally accepted it and planed his end. He dictated a log entry to a member of his staff explaining that he planned to end his life on his terms and leave no body to the enemy. He blamed the collapse of the empire on the betrayal of high ranking Nazi members. He had some cyanide capsules given to him by Goring but he didn’t trust that they were genuine so he tested one on his dog, Blonde. They proved genuine and so he gave them out to staff members in the event they were captured and chose to die. After the acceptance the mood was said to improve in the bunker and people were drinking and dancing. On the following day he married Eva Braun and enjoyed his last day with her. On this day in 1945 Eva took a cyanide capsule and Hitler shot himself with the same revolver he used to get the attention of Bavarian politician on his march to the Munich beer hall with 2,000 Nazi supporters on the 4th of November 1924. As per their orders, bunker personnel took the bodies into Chancellery garden, doused them in petrol and set them alight.