On This Day

On This Day in History: Discover What Happened Today In History

Every day has a story. From groundbreaking scientific discoveries and space missions to landmark political events and natural phenomena, “On This Day in History” offers a window into the past that helps us better understand the world we live in today. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or curious learner, this page delivers daily historical facts that educate and inspire.

Why “On This Day” Matters in Education

Understanding what happened on a specific date in history brings learning to life. Instead of memorising isolated facts, learners see connections between global events, scientific progress, and cultural change. Whether it’s the first moon landing, the fall of a famous empire, or the birth of a notable scientist, knowing what happened “on this day” strengthens our grasp of both the past and present.

Daily Highlights: Educational and Engaging

Each entry on this page is carefully curated to ensure it’s:

Historically accurate, with sources and references
Educational, aligning with school curricula in history, science, and geography
Engaging, with short, memorable descriptions
Diverse, covering events from all around the world and across centuries

Whether you’re interested in this day in science, military history, human rights, or space exploration, there’s something here for everyone.

Features of the “On This Day” Page

✅ Updated Daily – So you can explore something new every time you visit
✅ Searchable by Date – Quickly find events that happened on your birthday or any other date
✅ Cross-linked Content – Jump to full articles or educational videos for deeper learning
✅ Student-Friendly Summaries – Clear and concise language for all age groups

Explore the Past, Understand the Present

By learning what happened on this day in history, you’re not just reading about the past—you’re seeing how events shaped the world. These bite-sized historical facts are great for:

Daily classroom discussions
Social media education posts
Personal enrichment and trivia
Supporting homeschooling or revision

Example: June 30 – What Happened Today?

Here’s a taste of the kind of historical gems you’ll find:

🛰️ 1908 – Tunguska Event: A massive explosion flattened 2,000 square kilometres of Siberian forest, likely caused by an asteroid or comet.
🚀 1971 – Soyuz 11 Disaster: Three Soviet cosmonauts tragically lost their lives when their capsule depressurized during re-entry.
🌋 1991 – Mount Pinatubo Eruption Aftermath: The eruption earlier in June led to long-term global climate effects and displacement of thousands.

Stay Curious – Come Back Every Day!

Bookmark this page and make it part of your daily learning habit. Whether you’re a lifelong learner or looking for classroom inspiration, Earth Site’s On This Day in History section delivers rich, relevant content that educates and fascinates.

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).

: 1187
In 1187 The Siege of Jerusalem ended when Saladin’s forces captured the city.

The Muslim Conquest of Levant (632 – 661) led to the capture of the Holy Lands by Muslim forces. French and German Pilgrims visiting the Holy Lands in the late 11^th century led to a ‘Holy’ crusade by Christians to recapture the holy lands and the First Crusade (1096 – 1099). England, France and the Holy Roman Empire defeated the Muslim forces and captured the Holy Land, massacring many of the inhabitants. They created four crusader states which were the County of Edessa, County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

On the 28^th of November 1144 Muslim forces laid siege to Edessa and the siege lasted until the 24^th of December 1144 ending in the collapse of the state. Pope Eugene III called for the Second Crusade (1145 – 1149) against the Muslim states that had toppled the County of Edessa. It was Conrad III of Germany and Louis VII of France who took up arms against them only to be defeated but with the aid of other European powers the Christians managed minor success. After the Second Crusade, the forces of Syria and Egypt united under Nur ad-Din and when he died in 1169 the command of these forces fell to his nephew, Salah ad-Din Yusuf or simply Saladin as he became known.

Saladin’s forces defeated a huge crusader army in the Battle of Hattin on the 4^th of July 1187. With the bulk of the Crusader army defeated Saladin’s army was free to take back the holy land. One of the Crusader knights in the battle was Balian of Ibelin and upon the defeat in the battle he and many others fled to the stronghold of Tyre (in modern-day Lebanon). There Balian aided in the successful defence of the city against Saladin. Balian knew that Jerusalem would be Saladin’s next goal and made a personal request to be allowed safe passage to retreave his family from the city before they attacked. Saladin gave his permission and promised his safety if Balian gave his oath not to take up arms against Saladin’s forces once inside the city. Balian gave his oath but when he arrived in the city and found just a few knights and many civilians that would face certain death he broke his oath.

On the 20^th of September 1187, Saladin’s forces laid siege to the ultimate prize, the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Balian and his few men were no match for the mighty forces of Saladin and Balian left the city to negotiate the safety of the people within its walls. Saladin offered freedom to seven thousand of the inhabitants for a ransom. On the 2^nd of October Balian handed over the keys to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and many who had managed to pay ransom were set free. Those that were unable to pay were placed in slavery but this was preferable to the treatment the Crusaders had shown when they took the city previously.

This led to the Third Crusade (1189-1192).