Endangered Species Act Passed: Wildlife Protected
The bald eagle was nearly gone. The grizzly bear, the Florida panther, the California condor — all circling extinction. On December 28, 1973, Nixon signed a law that didn't just list threatened animals but gave them teeth: federal agencies had to stop projects that would wipe out species, even if it meant halting dams mid-construction. The timber industry howled. Developers sued. But the Act worked. Today, the bald eagle thrives, delisted in 2007. The catch? It protects bugs and plants too, not just charismatic mammals — and that's where the real fights happen.
December 28, 1973
53 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on December 28
The priests picked two popes at once. Eulalius grabbed the Lateran Palace at dawn. Boniface's crew seized another church across town. Both claimed legitimate el…
The army chose him in the ruins. Majorian had been a general under Aetius — watched his mentor get assassinated, survived the purges, kept his soldiers loyal. N…
A general nobody wanted becomes the last hope. Majorian took power with Leo's blessing from Constantinople — rare unity between east and west. He wasn't born to…
Alaric II inherits a Visigothic kingdom stretching from the Loire to Gibraltar — the largest Germanic realm in the West. His father Euric had forged it through …
A massive earthquake leveled the medieval Armenian capital of Dvin, killing an estimated 30,000 residents and burying the city’s grand cathedral under rubble. T…
Edward the Confessor consecrates Westminster Abbey, establishing a royal church that becomes the permanent coronation site for English monarchs and the burial p…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.