January 13, 2026
Survivor of British Retreat from Kabul Reaches Jalalabad (1842)
During the First Anglo-Afghan War, a group of 4,500 British soldiers and 12,000 British civilians left Kabul for Jalalabad. Beset by murderous bands, their numbers quickly dwindled. A few were captured alive and later released, but army surgeon William Brydon was the sole person to escape the final ambush by Afghan tribesman and reach the British camp at Jalalabad that day. Part of Brydon's skull had been sheared off by a sword, but he survived thanks to what object stuffed inside his hat?
January 12, 2026
Hundreds Killed in Hajj Stampede (2006)
About one in four people in the world is Muslim, a demographic that includes more than a billion people. Each Muslim is required to visit Mecca, the Saudi Arabian city of Mohammed's birth, at least once in their lifetime. During the annual pilgrimage, or Hajj, Mecca bears an influx of millions of people. In 2006, during the final day of the requisite Stoning of the Devil ritual, some 350 people were crushed to death in the crowd. What other dangers have pilgrims faced during the Hajj?
January 11, 2026
First US Marshal Killed in the Line of Duty (1794)
Born in Scotland, Robert Forsyth moved to America as a teen and distinguished himself in the Continental Army. After the Revolutionary War, he was appointed by US President George Washington to be the first US Marshal in the state of Georgia. Forsyth was serving in this capacity when he knocked at the door of Beverly Allen to serve him some court papers. The reluctant recipient shot Forsyth through the door, making him the first US Marshal killed in the line of duty. What happened to Allen?
