Portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots
Portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots

This Week in History

Blast back to the past for some big news stories.

History can teach us what to do — and what not to do. Its greatest moments can also inspire us. But first, we have to learn about it. Keep reading for some stories from this week in the past!

1543 — Making Mary Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, is a famous royal from Scotland’s history. She became queen when her dad, the king, died. She was officially crowned on September 9, 1543. Mary was just 9 months old at the time! She ended up ruling until 1567. Mary lived through many ups and downs. At the end of her life, the queen was even imprisoned in castles for 19 years. That’s because officials said she had plotted against England’s Queen Elizabeth I.

1916 — Sisters Cruise Across Country
Augusta and Adeline Van Buren hopped on their motorcycles in 1916. They roared across the United States. On July 4, the sisters left from Brooklyn, New York. About 5,500 miles (8,851 km) later, they reached Los Angeles, California. That was on September 8. They were only the second and third women to do this. And they had a big reason. The United States seemed close to entering World War I. The Van Buren sisters wanted to prove that women could be military dispatch riders.

1927 — Farnsworth Invents Electronic TV
Have you ever flipped through TV channels? Thank Philo Farnsworth! Farnsworth was an inventor from Utah. As a teen, he took an interest in television. Farnsworth believed that systems with spinning discs would be too slow to share video. So he went electronic. On September 7, 1927, Farnsworth had his first successful transmission on his invention. He had made the first fully electronic TV!

1945 — Allies Hold Victory Parade
World War II ended in stages. Germany surrendered to a group called the Allies in May 1945. Japan was still fighting though. The Asian nation finally gave up in September of that year. The Allies celebrated the win. Those countries held a parade in Berlin, Germany, on September 7, 1945. Troops from the Soviet Union, France, Britain, and the United States marched. Tanks went rolling past too!

1960 — Olympic Gold for African Runner
Around this time in 1960, the Olympics were happening in Rome, Italy. On September 10, Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia got gold. (See cover.) He ran the Olympic marathon just like he ran at home — in bare feet! Bikila won! He was the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal. For the next Olympics in 1964, the athlete was back. He became the first person to win the Olympic marathon twice!

Updated September 7, 2020, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan

This Week in History

Blast back to the past for some big news stories.

Portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots
Portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots

History can teach us what to do — and what not to do. Its greatest moments can also inspire us. But first, we have to learn about it. Keep reading for some stories from this week in the past!

1543 — Making Mary Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, is a famous royal from Scotland’s history. She became queen when her dad, the king, died. She was officially crowned on September 9, 1543. Mary was just 9 months old at the time! She ended up ruling until 1567. Mary lived through many ups and downs. At the end of her life, the queen was even imprisoned in castles for 19 years. That’s because officials said she had plotted against England’s Queen Elizabeth I.

1916 — Sisters Cruise Across Country
Augusta and Adeline Van Buren hopped on their motorcycles in 1916. They roared across the United States. On July 4, the sisters left from Brooklyn, New York. About 5,500 miles (8,851 km) later, they reached Los Angeles, California. That was on September 8. They were only the second and third women to do this. And they had a big reason. The United States seemed close to entering World War I. The Van Buren sisters wanted to prove that women could be military dispatch riders.

1927 — Farnsworth Invents Electronic TV
Have you ever flipped through TV channels? Thank Philo Farnsworth! Farnsworth was an inventor from Utah. As a teen, he took an interest in television. Farnsworth believed that systems with spinning discs would be too slow to share video. So he went electronic. On September 7, 1927, Farnsworth had his first successful transmission on his invention. He had made the first fully electronic TV!

1945 — Allies Hold Victory Parade
World War II ended in stages. Germany surrendered to a group called the Allies in May 1945. Japan was still fighting though. The Asian nation finally gave up in September of that year. The Allies celebrated the win. Those countries held a parade in Berlin, Germany, on September 7, 1945. Troops from the Soviet Union, France, Britain, and the United States marched. Tanks went rolling past too!

1960 — Olympic Gold for African Runner
Around this time in 1960, the Olympics were happening in Rome, Italy. On September 10, Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia got gold. (See cover.) He ran the Olympic marathon just like he ran at home — in bare feet! Bikila won! He was the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal. For the next Olympics in 1964, the athlete was back. He became the first person to win the Olympic marathon twice!

Updated September 7, 2020, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan

Draw it AskRuss