Bright green with an orange and yellow head, it was one of the most colorful birds living in the eastern United States.
Tecún Umán
On this day the last King of the K'iche' Maya people was killed during a battle in what is now Guatemala.
Attack of the Crocodiles
It was on this day in what is now Burma, that hundreds of Japanese soldiers were attacked and eaten by crocodiles.
The Pap in Smear
A doctor who in 1928 figured out that cervical and uterine cancer could be easily detected using a vaginal smear.
The Lost Cosmonaut
Just before dawn on this day, a Soviet cosmonaut was wandering drunk and stepped in front of a train.
QWERTY
Christopher Latham Sholes was a newspaper publisher, politician and most notably - the inventor of the QWERTY keyboard.
4 and 20 Blackbirds
It was a lavish party on this day that may have inspired a popular nursery rhyme.
The Pope and the Sneeze
On this day Pope Gregory the Great decreed that the proper way to respond to someone sneezing was to say, "God bless you."
The Great Elm
The tree was a prominent local landmark with a long history as a gathering place for political rallies and public hangings.
First Photo Op
President James K. Polk posed for the oldest surviving photograph of a sitting president.
Plunge into Hell
It was on this day that 12-year-old Todd Dobowski of Centralia, Pennsylvania fell into a hot, gaseous void caused by an underground coal fire.
The Louisville Sewer Disaster
Manhole covers whizzed through the air. Students were jolted out of their beds. Toilets erupted into fountains of raw sewage.
The Coso Artifact
Three rockhounds found what appeared to be a manmade piece of machinery encased in a 500,000 year old rock.
Landing on an Asteroid
The spacecraft performed a slingshot maneuver around the Earth that propelled it toward its rendezvous with a peanut-shaped rock.
Jack Paar Walks Away
This was the day that Jack Paar, host of The Tonight Show, made a very public stand against censorship.
Father of the Grill
George A. Stephen died on this day. He left behind one of the greatest gifts in American history, the Weber grill.
Party of the Century
It's remembered as one of the most extravagant soirees in US history.
Cosmic Crash
It was on this day that two satellites slammed into each other 485 miles out in space.
Margaret's Wild Ride
The pilot gunned the engine and took off, apparently not noticing that Margaret was still attached.
The Theft of Shergar
On this foggy night, Shergar, the famous racehorse and stud was stolen.