Massive Gatherings and Sudden Destruction

The 5 moments in this challenge

The scenes are shown below — tap a card to reveal its place and year.

1. 

   Round 1 · 1834

   Fire Consumes the Old Palace of Westminster

   Westminster, London, United Kingdom

   Burning obsolete wooden tally sticks overheated flues beneath the House of Lords and ignited the old palace. Westminster Hall survived, while the catastrophe cleared the way for today's Gothic Houses of Parliament.

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2. 

   Round 2 · 1793

   Marie Antoinette Goes to the Guillotine

   Place de la Concorde, Paris, France

   Nine months after Louis XVI's execution, Marie Antoinette was taken by open cart to the guillotine at the Place de la Révolution. The former queen's death became an enduring symbol of the French Revolution.

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3. 

   Round 3 · 1978

   John Paul II Appears on the Balcony

   Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

   Karol Wojtyła greeted Saint Peter's Square as the newly elected John Paul II. The Polish pontiff was the first non-Italian pope in more than four centuries, beginning a papacy that would last twenty-six years.

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4. 

   Round 4 · 1995

   The Million Man March Fills the Mall

   National Mall, Washington, D.C., United States

   Hundreds of thousands of Black men gathered on the National Mall for a day of solidarity, responsibility, and renewal. Organized by Louis Farrakhan and others, the march became one of America's largest political gatherings.

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5. 

   Round 5 · 1939

   Luftwaffe Bombers Attack the Firth of Forth

   Firth of Forth, near Queensferry, Scotland, United Kingdom

   In the Second World War's first German air attack on Britain, Ju 88 bombers targeted Royal Navy warships near the Forth Bridge. Spitfires intercepted them; the famous bridge itself was not their target.

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