February 7
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Featured Event
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Charlie Chaplin debuts his “Little Tramp” character
On this day in 1914, Charlie Chaplin debuted his most famous screen character—the Little Tramp. In the 11-minute short film Kid Auto Races at Venice, audiences witnessed the Little Tramp’s trademark style, which consisted of a small derby hat, comically large shoes, and a badly fitted suit. While early versions of the Tramp were obnoxious and disruptive, the character eventually evolved into a figure that audiences understood and sympathized with. The Little Tramp, in 1972, earned a record-breaking 12-minute standing ovation at the Academy Awards. [Read today’s edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
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Charles Dickens, whose works include A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, was born in England on this day in 1812. He is generally considered the most influential Victorian-era novelist.
Famous Birthdays
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2023
Basketball player LeBron James became the all-time highest scorer in the NBA, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. He is generally considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. [Read Britannica’s list of the 10 greatest players of all time]
AP
2019
Baseball player and manager Frank Robinson, who was the first Black manager in Major League Baseball, died at age 82. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. [Test your knowledge of baseball.]
UNC Athletic Communications
2015
American collegiate basketball coach Dean Smith died at age 83. He recorded 879 career victories, making him one of the most successful men’s collegiate basketball coaches. [Why are basketball hoops 10 feet high?]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
2013
Mississippi became the last U.S. state to officially abolish slavery; it had ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in 1995 but failed to submit the necessary paperwork.
© Jason Szenes—EPA/REX/Shutterstock.com
1999
Abdullah II became king of Jordan hours after the death of his father, Hussein. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Middle East.]
Mario Tama—Getty Images/Thinkstock
1986
In the wake of political unrest, Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier fled the country, with U.S. assistance, for France. [Do you know the capitals of countries in the Caribbean?]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1974
© Joe Seer/Shutterstock.com
1966
Chris Rock, whose candid stand-up routines often addressed racial issues, was born in Georgetown, South Carolina. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about pop culture.]
© Daily Mirror—Mirrorpix/Getty Images
1964
The musical British Invasion began when the Beatles landed in New York City. Two nights later, as Beatlemania stormed America, their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was watched by 73 million viewers.
© 1940 Walt Disney Productions
1940
The animated film Pinocchio had its world premiere, and it became one of Disney’s most beloved classics, known for its brilliant animation and compelling story. [How much do you know about Disney?]
The Granger Collection, New York
1885
Sinclair Lewis was born in Minnesota. A novelist and social critic who energized readers with his broadly drawn, widely popular satiric novels, Lewis, in 1930, became the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. [Take our quiz about the literary world (authors and poets).]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski
1812
One of the largest earthquakes in U.S. history occurred along the New Madrid Fault. [Test your knowledge of natural disasters.]
Novosti Press Agency
1613
Michael Romanov, the first ruler of the Romanov dynasty, became tsar of Russia. [Take our quiz about Russia.]
Photos.com/Getty Images
1477
Humanist and statesman Sir Thomas More was born in London. His book Utopia explores the concept of a communist city-state that relies on reason above all else. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Europeans.]