SortStack #758 — 2028-07-06
By year · Order from earliest to most recent.
- The first ancient Olympic Games are held at Olympia 776 BCE
The only event was a single sprint of about 190 meters, and the first recorded champion was Coroebus of Elis — a cook.
- Hannibal marches his army and war elephants across the Alps 218 BCE
He set out with around 37 elephants; nearly all died in the crossing or soon after, yet he rampaged through Italy for fifteen years.
- The American colonies declare independence from Britain 1776
Most delegates didn't sign the Declaration until August. John Adams predicted Americans would forever celebrate the second of July.
- Disneyland opens its gates in Anaheim, California 1955
Opening day was a fiasco insiders called 'Black Sunday': heat melted the fresh asphalt, fountains failed, and thousands entered with counterfeit tickets.
- The Space Shuttle Columbia makes the first shuttle flight 1981
It was the first time NASA launched humans on a vehicle that had never flown an uncrewed test — commander John Young had already walked on the Moon.
- The container ship Ever Given wedges itself across the Suez Canal 2021
For six days it blocked an estimated $10 billion of trade per day, while a single excavator digging at its bow became a global meme.