April 12, 2026
Canter & Siegel Post the First Commercial Mass Usenet Spam (1994)
Spam is now a ubiquitous part of the Internet, but that was not always the case. Early in the Internet age, two enterprising immigration lawyers—Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel—opened the floodgates of unwanted online commercial solicitation when they posted an ad for their services on thousands of Usenet newsgroups. Though not the first Usenet spam, the "Green Card Lottery" notice was the first to be commercial in nature and ushered in the modern era of Internet spam. What became of the duo?
April 11, 2026
First Treaties of Utrecht Signed (1713)
Lasting from 1701 to 1714, the War of the Spanish Succession was brought to a close with two series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht. The first series was signed between France and other European powers, specifically Britain, the Dutch Republic, Prussia, Portugal, and Savoy. Among other concessions, France agreed to cede various territories and recognize Queen Anne as the British sovereign. After concluding these treaties, France still remained at war with what empire?
April 10, 2026
Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler Escape from Auschwitz-Birkenau (1944)
By 1944, transports were arriving daily at Auschwitz, carrying thousands of Jews destined for the gas chambers and crematoria. Prisoners Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler knew that someone had to warn the Jews about what was happening to their deported brethren and alert the world to the atrocities being committed, so they mounted a daring escape and made their way to Slovakia, where they presented a detailed report on the concentration camp to Jewish officials. How did they break out of the camp?
