A cold Washington morning. Twenty thousand troops guarding the Capitol, still scarred from the January 6th insurrection. Biden, 78 years old and wearing a navy blue coat, placed his hand on a 127-year-old family Bible — the same one he'd used for every Senate swearing-in. And Kamala Harris stood beside him: daughter of immigrants, first woman, first Black person, first person of South Asian descent to become Vice President. The pandemic had stripped the ceremony of its usual pageantry, but the moment felt monumental. A fragile democracy reasserting itself, one oath at a time.
January 20, 2021
5 years ago
What Else Happened on January 20
Pope Fabian died under the sword during Emperor Decius’s systematic purge of Christians, becoming one of the first high-profile casualties of the Roman state’s …
The Roman Empire didn't just dislike Christians—it wanted to crush them completely. Decius demanded every citizen perform a sacrifice to Roman gods, presenting …
King Chindasuinth crowned his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom at the urging of Bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, securing a smooth dynastic succ…
Lalli, a Finnish peasant, struck down Bishop Henry on the frozen surface of Lake Köyliö after a dispute over food and hospitality. This act of violence transfor…
Simon de Montfort convened the first English parliament to include representatives from major towns alongside the traditional nobility at the Palace of Westmins…
Simon de Montfort wasn't playing politics—he was staging a revolution. Dragging 23 knights and burgesses into Westminster, he created something radical: a gover…
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