November 6

Constantinople's Walls Crumble

Even the mightiest fortress bows to nature

A powerful earthquake shook Constantinople to its foundations, toppling fifty-seven towers of the legendary Theodosian Walls that had protected the city for decades. The damage to these massive fortifications, considered the most elaborate defensive system ever built, left the Byzantine capital temporarily vulnerable. A frantic rebuilding effort would restore the walls in record time.

McKinley Re-Elected

America chooses continuity with a fateful twist

President William McKinley won re-election alongside his vice-presidential running mate, New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt. The victory seemed to guarantee four more years of McKinley's steady hand, but fate had other plans. Within a year, McKinley would fall to an assassin's bullet, and the energetic Roosevelt would transform the American presidency forever.

Meet the Press

Meet the Press, the longest running television program in history, makes its debut on NBC Television.