On December 31st:

1600 The Company That Conquered a Continent

A simple trading charter signed in London launched an enterprise that would transform India and redefine colonial power.

1879 Who Turned On the Future?

In Menlo Park, a persistent inventor finally found the right filament, illuminating not just a room but humanity’s path forward.

1999 What Panama Built, Panama Shall Keep

On this day, a century-old dream of sovereignty was realized as the world’s most strategic waterway returned to its builders’ descendants.