Today in History: August 24 - The Darkest Days of Global History

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae under volcanic ash. In 410 AD, Alaric's Visigoths sacked Rome. In 1349, 6,000 Jews were massacred in Mainz, accused of causing the plague. In 1516, Ottoman forces defeated the Mamluks at the Battle of Mercidabık. In 1572, the St. Barthélemy Massacre occurred in France. In 1814, British forces occupied Washington, burning the White House and other buildings. In 1851, the Ottoman government took loans from Palmer and Goldschmidt companies. In 1858, 90 Black people were arrested in Richmond, Virginia, for educating themselves. In 1875, Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the English Channel. In 1891, Thomas Edison patented the motion picture camera. In 1909, construction began on the Panama Canal. These historical events shaped the world's economic and political landscape.