On July 21, 365 A.D., a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Crete triggered a deadly tsunami that slammed into Alexandria, one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire. The wave hit with such force that ancient historians said ships were tossed onto rooftops, and parts of the city were wiped out completely.

The quake is estimated to have been around magnitude 8.5 or higher, and the resulting tsunami didn’t just impact Egypt — it struck coastlines across the eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, Libya, and Cyprus. The ancient historian Ammianus Marcellinus described how the sea first pulled back dramatically before roaring back in, catching the population completely off guard.

Thousands were killed, and major ports, including Alexandria’s famed harbor, were destroyed or severely damaged. Some scholars believe this event contributed to long-term economic decline in the region and even weakened the empire’s control over key trade routes.

So on July 21, 365, one of the most destructive natural disasters of the ancient world hit the heart of the Roman Empire — and left behind both ruins and written records that helped modern scientists piece together what really happened.

On July 21, 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte scored a major victory against the Mamluk forces of Egypt at the Battle of the Pyramids, just outside Cairo. It was part of his campaign to cut off British trade routes by invading Egypt — and this battle proved that his modern European army could outmaneuver even the most fearsome local warriors.

Napoleon's 25,000 men faced roughly 21,000 Mamluk cavalry and infantry. The French formed into massive square formations, a defensive tactic that allowed them to withstand charges from the famed Mamluk horsemen. With disciplined volleys and artillery support, the French broke through and decimated the opposition.

The battle didn’t actually take place next to the pyramids, but they were visible in the distance — and Napoleon used that image for dramatic effect. He famously told his troops, “Soldiers, from the top of these pyramids, forty centuries look down upon you.” Whether he really said that or not is debated, but it added to his mythos.

So on July 21, 1798, Napoleon didn’t just win a battle — he cemented French control over Cairo, proved his army’s dominance, and added another chapter to his growing legend as a military genius.

Paris Flood Parade⛵️
In 1910, the Seine River flooded central Paris, submerging streets and displacing over 20,000 residents. Despite the crisis, Parisians held makeshift parades using boats and rafts, with some including musicians and banners floating through neighborhoods like Saint-Germain. The event became known informally as the "Flood Parade," reflecting the city’s tendency to meet disaster with improvisation and spectacle.

Einsteins Stolen Brain🧠
After Albert Einstein’s death in 1955, the pathologist who performed his autopsy, Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey, removed Einstein’s brain without permission. He preserved it in jars of formaldehyde and later in plastic slides, keeping it for over 40 years. Harvey lost his medical license and sent pieces to researchers around the world. Einstein’s family had not authorized the removal, leading to decades of ethical controversy.

Mozarts Pet Starling🎶
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart kept a European starling as a pet after reportedly hearing it sing the opening bars of his Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major. He bought it in 1784 and kept it for three years. When the bird died, Mozart held a funeral complete with a poem, procession, and ceremonial burial, showing his affection for the bird — and his eccentricity.

Frida Kahlo’s Chasity🚌
Frida Kahlo suffered lifelong injuries from a 1925 bus accident that shattered her spine and pelvis. She wore various plaster and steel corsets for pain support and mobility, and underwent over 30 surgeries. Despite her condition, she maintained a sexually active life, having relationships with both men and women, including Diego Rivera, Leon Trotsky, and Josephine Baker, defying cultural and physical constraints.

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