Day In History
This Day in History
Today: February 25, 2026
138
Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.[1]
628
Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.[2]
1336
Four thousand defenders of Pilenai commit mass suicide rather than be taken captive by the Teutonic Knights.
1705
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1836
Samuel Colt is granted a United States patent for his revolver firearm.[4]
1843
Lord George Paulet occupies the Kingdom of Hawaii in the name of Great Britain in the Paulet affair.[5]
1870
Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, is sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress.[6]
1875
Guangxu Emperor of Qing dynasty China begins his reign, under Empress Dowager Cixi's regency.[7]
1912
Marie-Adélaïde, the eldest of six daughters of Guillaume IV, becomes the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.[8]
1916
World War I: In the Battle of Verdun, a German unit captures Fort Douaumont, keystone of the French defences, without a fight.[9]
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