This Day in History
April 25, 2026
2015
April 2015 Nepal earthquake
At least 8,962 are killed in Nepal after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal.
2014
Flint water crisis
The Flint water crisis begins when officials at Flint, Michigan switch the city's water supply to the Flint River, leading to lead and bacteria contamination.
2007
Death and state funeral of Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin's funeral: The first to be sanctioned by the Russian Orthodox Church for a head of state since the funeral of Emperor Alexander III in 1894.
2005
Obelisk of Axum
The final piece of the Obelisk of Axum is returned to Ethiopia after being stolen by the invading Italian army in 1937.
2005
Amagasaki derailment
A seven-car commuter train derails and crashes into an apartment building near Amagasaki Station in Japan, killing 107, including the driver.
2005
Bulgaria
Bulgaria and Romania sign the Treaty of Accession 2005 to join the European Union.
2004
March for Women's Lives (2004)
The March for Women's Lives brings over one million protesters, mostly pro-choice, to Washington D.C. to protest the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and other restrictions on abortion.
2001
George W. Bush
President George W. Bush pledges U.S. military support in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
1990
Violeta Chamorro
Violeta Chamorro takes office as the President of Nicaragua, the first woman to hold the position.
1983
Cold War
Cold War: American schoolgirl Samantha Smith is invited to visit the Soviet Union by its leader Yuri Andropov after he read her letter in which she expressed fears about nuclear war.
1982
Israel
Israel completes its withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula per the Camp David Accords.
1981
Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant
More than 100 workers are exposed to radiation during repairs of at the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.
1980
Dan-Air Flight 1008
One hundred forty-six people are killed when Dan-Air Flight 1008 crashes near Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
1974
Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution: A leftist military coup in Portugal overthrows the authoritarian-conservative Estado Novo regime.
1972
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive: The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum.
1960
USS Triton (SSRN-586)
The United States Navy submarine USS Triton completes the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
1959
St. Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping.
1954
Solar cell
The first practical solar cell is publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories.