in History
The greatest empire crumbles without a fight
The armies of Cyrus the Great marched through the gates of Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire in a conquest that was as much diplomatic as military. The Persian king, who would become founder of the Achaemenid Empire, famously freed the captive Jews and issued what many consider history's first charter of human rights. A new world order had begun.
A president gives a mansion its identity
President Theodore Roosevelt, never one for unnecessary formality, officially renamed the Executive Mansion to the White House. The change reflected Roosevelt's characteristically direct approach to governance and gave America's most famous residence the name by which the world would know it forever after. It was a small act with enduring resonance.
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev reportedly pounded his shoe on a desk during a meeting of the United Nations General.
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev reportedly pounded his shoe on a desk during a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in protest at a speech by Philippine delegate Lorenzo Sumulong.