Kirch's Discovery: Great Comet of 1680 (+ 12 more historical events on this day!)

A Daily Dose of History: Events on this Day in History · Nov 14, 2024 · 10m

A Daily Dose of History (14 Nov 2024)

Today's historical events:

German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovers the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.

James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile.

Napoleonic Wars: At the Battle of Smoliani, French Marshals Victor and Oudinot are defeated by the Russians under General Peter Wittgenstein.

Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, is published in the USA.

Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days…