On This Day in History

August 25

Historical Events

1609 Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge (ruler) of Venice, Leonardo Donato

1718 Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana and found New Orleans

1768 Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

1894 Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet

Crowds line the Champs Elysees to view the Free French forces of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division pass through the Arc de Triomphe

1944 German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrenders Paris to the Free French forces of Philippe Leclerc, disobeying Adolf Hitler's orders to destroy the city. President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic Charles de Gaulle gives a famous speech at the Hôtel de Ville.

1990 UN Security Council authorizes military action against Iraq for invading Kuwait

1991 Linux is born when Linus Torvalds sends an email announcing his project to create a new computer operating system

More Historical Events

Famous Birthdays

Ivan the Terrible 1530 - 1584 Võ Nguyên Giáp 1911 - 2013

Sean Connery 1930 - 2020 Billy Ray Cyrus 63rd Birthday

Also Elvis Costello (70) and Claudia Schiffer (54).

More Famous Birthdays

Famous Deaths

James Watt 1736 - 1819 Neil Armstrong 1930 - 2012

Also William Herschel and Michael Faraday.

More Famous Deaths

Captain Webb Conquers the English Channel

After 22 hours in the water Captain Matthew Webb stepped ashore at Calais on this day – the first person ever to swim across the Channel from England to France.

First Person to Swim the English Channel