HistoryGuesser Daily · September 1, 2026 · 1050 – 1868
From the sweeping concrete ribs of a new modernist capital to the destructive flashpoints of industrial history, today's scenes explore moments that permanently altered the skylines and landscapes of their eras.
The scenes are shown below — tap a card to reveal its place and year.
Round 1 · 1372
Completion of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Pisa, Italy
After two centuries of intermittent construction and frantic attempts to compensate for a settling foundation, masons finally crown the deeply tilted campanile with its belfry.
Round 2 · 1652
Jan van Riebeeck Lands at Table Bay
Cape Town, South Africa
Tasked by the Dutch East India Company with establishing a vital resupply station for spice ships bound for the Indies, Jan van Riebeeck's landing laid the foundational settlement of Cape Town.
Round 3 · 1868
Emperor Meiji Enters Edo Castle
Tokyo, Japan
Following the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the young Emperor Meiji makes his grand procession into Edo, soon to be renamed Tokyo, marking the dawn of Japan's rapid modernization.
Round 4 · 1100
Building Monk's Mound at Cahokia
Illinois, USA
At its peak, the Mississippian metropolis of Cahokia was larger than London, centered around a colossal terraced earthwork constructed entirely by hand using millions of woven baskets of soil.
Round 5 · 1050
Construction of Cahokia's Monks Mound
Illinois, USA
Tens of thousands of Indigenous Mississippians moved over 22 million cubic feet of earth in woven baskets to construct this massive, flat-topped ceremonial pyramid at the center of their sprawling metropolis.
