February 15 Through History

Explanation: Galileo was condemned by the Inquisition in 1633 for defending Copernicus's heliocentric theory. He was forced to recant his beliefs but allegedly whispered 'And yet it moves' according to legend. He died under house arrest in 1642, the same year Isaac Newton was born.

Explanation: The explosion of the battleship USS Maine, which killed 266 American sailors, was blamed on Spain by the American press, without formal proof. This tragedy was used as a pretext to trigger the Spanish-American War of 1898, after which Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Explanation: The Canadian Maple Leaf flag, with its red maple leaf on a white background between two red bands, was adopted after a heated parliamentary debate lasting several months. It replaced the Canadian Ensign, which featured the British Union Jack, marking a step toward affirming a distinct national identity.

Explanation: The fall of Singapore represents the greatest capitulation in British military history. Around 80,000 allied soldiers surrendered to the Japanese forces of General Yamashita, who were actually fewer in number. Churchill called this event the 'worst disaster' in British history.

Explanation: The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan ended a nine-year war (1979-1989) that cost the lives of approximately 15,000 Soviet soldiers and more than one million Afghans. This conflict is often compared to the American Vietnam War and contributed to considerably weakening the Soviet Union before its collapse in 1991.

Explanation: Cinderella was the 12th animated feature film from Disney studios. After the financial difficulties caused by World War II, this film marked Disney's triumphant return to major animated films. The song 'A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes' became one of the studio's most iconic.

Explanation: The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Indian space agency ISRO shattered the previous record held by Russia (37 satellites in 2014). Of those 104 satellites, 96 belonged to American companies. This success confirmed India as a global space power at a lower cost.

Explanation: Jeremy Bentham is best known for his utilitarian theory, according to which the goal of all moral action must be 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number'. He requested that his body be preserved as an 'auto-icon' after his death, and his dressed skeleton is still on display at University College London.

Explanation: Louise de Lorraine became Queen of France without ever wielding real political influence. After the assassination of Henry III in 1589, she wore mourning in white, the royal mourning color in France, for the rest of her life, earning her the nickname 'White Queen'. She died in 1601 at the château de Moulins.

Explanation: Susan B. Anthony was arrested in 1872 for illegally voting in a presidential election. She fought her entire life for women's suffrage but died in 1906, fourteen years before the adoption of the 19th amendment that granted it to women. Since 1979, her likeness has appeared on the American silver dollar.