On This Day In History: anniversaries, birthdays, major events, and time capsules. This day's facts in the arts, politics, and sciences.

Feb 20, 2026 · Today in History—March 30: Why the U.S. Bought Alaska—When No One Else Wanted It Michele Metych is the lead editor for Today in History at Encyclopædia Britannica.

Mar 12, 2026 · It was in his “Raising the Wind” political cartoon that he first conjured what we think of today as Uncle Sam. In a cartoon about rival shipping lines, published on March 13, 1852, Bellew …

Explore the fact-checked online encyclopedia from Encyclopaedia Britannica with hundreds of thousands of objective articles, biographies, videos, and images from experts.

Mar 27, 2026 · Today in History is a daily newsletter from Britannica. The first full-length animated feature film, it took three years and $1.5 million ($36 million today)—six times its original budget—to …

On February 19, 1847, the first of four rescue teams arrived to save members of the Donner family, who had become stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains while traveling west.

Feb 13, 2026 · Today in History—February 18: From Kansas to the Kuiper Belt Michele Metych is the lead editor for Today in History at Encyclopædia Britannica.

On This Day In History - February 4: anniversaries, birthdays, major events, and time capsules. This day's facts in the arts, politics, and sciences.

6 days ago · The Internet is a system architecture that has revolutionized communications and methods of commerce by allowing various computer networks around the world to interconnect. The Internet …

Feb 10, 2026 · Today in History—February 11: The French Chef Premiere: When Julia Child Taught America to Cook (and Laugh) Michele Metych is the lead editor for Today in History at Encyclopædia …