Standoffs, Milestones, and Shaking Earth

The 5 moments in this challenge

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

1. 

   Round 1 · 1867

   Alaska Changes Flags at Sitka

   Castle Hill, Sitka, Alaska, United States

   Russia formally transferred Alaska to the United States at Sitka after a purchase costing $7.2 million. The Russian flag became entangled during its lowering, briefly interrupting the ceremony now commemorated as Alaska Day.

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2. 

   Round 2 · 1859

   Marines Storm John Brown's Engine House

   Original engine-house site, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, United States

   U.S. Marines stormed the federal armory's engine house, capturing abolitionist John Brown and ending his attempt to spark a slave uprising. His trial and execution intensified the sectional crisis before the Civil War.

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3. 

   Round 3 · 1909

   A Wright Biplane Circles the Eiffel Tower

   Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

   Charles de Lambert flew a Wright biplane from Juvisy to Paris, circled the Eiffel Tower, and returned. His roughly fifty-kilometre flight demonstrated that powered aircraft could venture far beyond their usual demonstration grounds.

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4. 

   Round 4 · 1356

   Basel's Cathedral Collapses in an Earthquake

   Basel Minster, Basel, Switzerland

   A powerful evening earthquake devastated Basel and damaged castles across the surrounding region. Fires compounded the destruction, and the cathedral's ruined towers and choir required major rebuilding after one of central Europe's strongest recorded earthquakes.

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5. 

   Round 5 · 1961

   West Side Story Premieres at the Rivoli

   Former Rivoli Theatre site, Manhattan, New York, United States

   The film adaptation of the Broadway musical premiered at Manhattan's Rivoli Theatre. Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, it later won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

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