Senate Ratifies Alaska Purchase by One Vote: Seward's Folly Passes
The Senate floor went silent as one lonely senator flipped his vote, saving Alaska from Russia's grasp. Seward paid $7.2 million for a frozen land critics called "Seward's Folly," yet he secured gold and fish that'd feed millions later. That single ballot didn't just move dirt; it gave the U.S. a future front door to Asia we still use today, turning a joke into a strategic superpower.
April 9, 1867
159 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 9
Antiochia am Orontes wird durch ein Erdbeben zerstört.
Dong Zhuo met le feu à Luoyang dans le cadre de la campagne menée contre lui.
A legion in Illyricum shouted "Severus Augustus!" before anyone else knew the old emperor was dead. They didn't wait for the Senate; they grabbed a sword and cl…
Sixteen legions marched out of Illyricum, not to defend the frontier, but to burn down the old guard. While Commodus lay dead in Rome, Severus's soldiers realiz…
He handed out a letter promising peace by erasing the word "two natures." Emperor Basiliscus, backed by his wife and the powerful Patriarch Peter the Fuller, de…
1,600 cavalrymen arrived, mostly Huns and Slavs with bows that could punch through Gothic armor. Belisarius didn't wait for supplies to fill his bellies; he str…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.