Winston Churchill is known as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, and was instrumental in creating the alliance between the UK, the US, and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. His political career spanned half a century. At the age of 80, aware of his waning health, which included a series of strokes, he stepped down and was succeeded by Anthony Eden.
Julius Rosenberg and Ethel Rosenberg were American citizens who were convicted of espionage for passing state secrets to the Soviet Union, specifically classified information about the atomic bomb, during the Cold War. They were the only US citizens to be sentenced to death for such a crime and were executed at Sing Sing prison in 1953. Their case and involvement had been largely debated, but in 1990 the release of Soviet intelligence information confirmed their involvement in espionage.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, separated by heavy wire screen as they leave U.S. Court House after being found guilty by jury. 1951. Library of Congress
The Battle of Maipú took place on April 5, 1818, during the Chilean War of Independence. It was fought between the forces of Chilean patriots, led by General José de San Martín, and the Spanish royalists, commanded by General Mariano Osorio. The battle marked a decisive victory on Chilean side, effectively ending Spanish control over Chile and ensuring its independence. The conflict left 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead. The outcome of the Battle of Maipú is considered a turning point in South American independence movements, as it paved the way for further successes against Spanish colonial rule.
Batalla de Maipu. Wikimedia Commons
The Mayflower was a famous ship that carried English Pilgrims to the New World in 1620. It set sail on September 16 with 102 people on board from Plymouth, England, to what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in North America. The journey lasted 66 days, where, although passengers endured hard conditions, only one person died. Upon arrival, they established the Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest English settlements in North America. Half of the Pilgrims died of disease shortly after arriving. After a year and a half in the new World, the Mayflower began its journey back on April 5, 1621.
The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor, William Halsall, 1900
Pocahontas was born around 1596 and was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah. She converted to Christianity and married john Rolfe, an English settler, on April 5, 1614. Their marriage helped establish a period of peace between the English colonists and the Powhatan Indians for a few years. She traveled to England with her husband and young son in 1616, where she was presented as an example of a “civilized” Native American. She died in England in 1617 around the age of 21.
Pocahontas, illustration in Baziliωlogia A Booke of Kings, London, Compton Holland, 1618. Simon van de Passe. Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
– Don’t miss out on To Vima’s daily “On this Day in History” posts.
