Events

Paneuropean Picnic (1989) Paneuropean Picnic A peaceful August 19, 1989 gathering at the Austria–Hungary border near Sopron that briefly opened the Iron Curtain and helped trigger an exodus of East Germans to the West and the…

Papal conclave A papal conclave is the closed assembly of cardinals convened to elect the bishop of Rome (the pope). It follows ritual, legal rules and centuries of development intended to secure…

Parade: public processions of people, music and display Parade A parade is an organized, often ceremonial public procession of people, vehicles, music and displays used for celebration, commemoration, protest, or promotion.

Paradise Papers: global leak of offshore financial records Paradise Papers A 2017 international journalistic investigation of 13.4 million leaked documents revealing how offshore trusts and companies were used by politicians, businesspeople and corporatio…

Parsley Massacre (1937) Parsley Massacre Mass killing of thousands of Haitian migrants and dark-skinned residents along the Dominican–Haitian border in October 1937, ordered by dictator Rafael Trujillo; widely known as th…

Parsons Green train bombing (15 September 2017) Parsons Green train bombing A 2017 attempted bombing on a District line train at Parsons Green station in London that injured dozens; the device partially detonated and the incident was treated as terrorism w…

Party: Social Gatherings, Types, History and Cultural Role Party A party is a social gathering for celebration, entertainment or shared purpose. This article explains common elements, types, brief history, planning basics, and cultural distincti…

Payback (2013) — WWE pay-per-view event Payback (2013) Payback (2013) was the inaugural Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by WWE on June 16, 2013, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois; it replaced the No Way O…

Payback (2014): WWE pay-per-view event Payback (2014) Payback (2014) was the second annual WWE Payback pay-per-view, held May 4, 2014 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois; it continued WWE's revenge-themed PPV series and aired…

Payback (2015) — WWE pay-per-view event Payback (2015) Payback (2015) was the third WWE Payback pay-per-view, held May 17, 2015 at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore. Seth Rollins retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal…

Peasants' Revolt (1381): Wat Tyler's Rebellion in England Peasants' Revolt A concise overview of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in England: causes, course, leaders such as Wat Tyler and John Ball, outcomes and its place in late medieval social change.

Penny Arcade Expo (PAX): overview of the gaming festival series Penny Arcade Expo PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) is a group of gaming festivals founded by the Penny Arcade creators in 2004. It hosts large public conventions for video, tabletop and indie games across mu…

Pentaport Rock Festival (Incheon) Pentaport Rock Festival Annual three-day rock festival in Incheon, South Korea, known for diverse lineups, five founding themes, and international as well as domestic performers since 2006.

People Power Revolution (EDSA Revolution) — Philippines 1986 People Power Revolution Mass nonviolent uprising in the Philippines (22–25 Feb 1986) that ended Ferdinand Marcos's rule and opened a democratic transition; overview of causes, events, participants, afterm…

People's Summit (U.S. progressive conference) People's Summit An annual progressive conference in Chicago that gathers activists, labor and advocacy groups for panels, trainings, and strategy. It draws on the grassroots energy of the 2016 San…

People's Sunday (Malta) — Lenten pilgrimage to Żabbar People's Sunday People's Sunday is a Maltese popular-religious observance on the first Sunday of Lent when many Catholics make a pilgrimage to the chapel of Our Lady of Graces in Żabbar to pray an…

Pequot War (mid-1630s) Pequot War A brief, neutral account of the Pequot War—a violent conflict in New England in the mid-1630s between the Pequot tribe and English colonists with allied Native groups, its course,…

Peterloo Massacre (1819): crowd, charge and political repercussions Peterloo Massacre The Peterloo Massacre occurred at St Peter's Field, Manchester on 16 August 1819 when cavalry charged a large reform meeting, killing several people and wounding hundreds; it shape…

Phoenix Park Murders The 1882 killings in Dublin's Phoenix Park of Lord Frederick Cavendish and T. H. Burke by the Irish National Invincibles, their context, investigation, political aftermath and lega…

PIA Flight 268 (1992) — Controlled flight into terrain near Kathmandu PIA Flight 268 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 crashed into terrain near Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992, killing all 167 aboard. The accident prompted safety revi…

Pickett's Charge — Confederate assault on Cemetery Ridge, July 3, 1863 Pickett's Charge Overview of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg: planning, artillery preparation, infantry assault, commanders, casualties and its significance as the Confederacy's 'high-water mark'.

Picnic — outdoor meal and social gathering Picnic A picnic is a casual outdoor meal and social event, typically held in parks or scenic areas; it includes prepared food, simple cooking, games, and cultural variations worldwide.

Pig War (1859): The San Juan Island border dispute Pig War (1859) A largely bloodless 1859 confrontation between the United States and Great Britain over San Juan Island, triggered by the killing of a stray pig and ultimately resolved by internat…

Pilgrimage of Grace (1536–1537) — Northern uprising against the Dissolution Pilgrimage of Grace A large-scale popular revolt in northern England (1536–1537) protesting Henry VIII’s religious reforms, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and related political and economic griev…

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (Tree of Life, October 27, 2018) Pittsburgh synagogue shooting A mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, widely reported as an antisemitic attack that resulted in multiple fatalities, injuries, a criminal…

Pol'and'Rock Festival (formerly Przystanek Woodstock) Pol'and'Rock Festival Annual open-air music festival in Poland, founded in 1995 and organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Free-entry, volunteer-led event celebrating music, community an…

Pontiac's War (1763–1766): Native uprising in the Great Lakes and Ohio regions Pontiac's War A concise overview of Pontiac's War, the 1763–1766 Native American uprising against British postwar policies in the Great Lakes, Illinois and Ohio regions, its course and lasting e…

Pony Express (1860–1861) — U.S. transcontinental mail service Pony Express Short-lived fast mail relay across the American West (Apr 1860–Oct 1861), using mounted riders and relay stations to carry mail between Missouri and California in about ten days.

Poor People's Campaign: The 1968 Movement for Economic Justice and Its Legacy Poor People's Campaign A multiracial 1968 movement initiated by Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC to demand economic reforms for the poor, culminating in Resurrection City and continuing to influence l…

Popish Plot (1678–1681): fabricated conspiracy and its political fallout Popish Plot A fabricated 17th-century conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that provoked anti-Catholic panic in England, led to executions and political crisis, and later collapsed when Oates wa…

Port Arthur massacre (1996) Port Arthur massacre The 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania was a mass shooting that killed 35 people. It prompted major Australian gun-law reforms, changed national debate on firearms, and left a l…

Portuguese Grand Prix A comprehensive overview of the Portuguese Grand Prix: its history, circuits (Boavista, Monsanto, Estoril, Portimão), key changes, safety developments and lasting legacy in motorsp…

Potsdam Conference (July–August 1945) Potsdam Conference Allied leaders met in Potsdam in July–August 1945 to decide Germany’s postwar administration, demand Japan’s surrender, and address reparations—an event that shaped the early Cold…

Pottawatomie massacre (May 1856) — anti-slavery attack in Kansas Territory Pottawatomie massacre A summary of the Pottawatomie massacre: John Brown’s May 1856 killings near Osawatomie, Kansas, their context in Bleeding Kansas, methods, immediate effects and historical signific…

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred race run each May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore; it is the middle jewel of the Triple Crown and run at 1 3/16 miles on…

Preparations for Hurricane Katrina Overview of how authorities, communities, and individuals prepared for Hurricane Katrina in 2005, including warnings, evacuations, infrastructure measures, and lessons learned.

Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) Prime Minister's Questions Weekly parliamentary session in the UK where MPs, led by the Leader of the Opposition, question the Prime Minister. A high-profile, often combative accountability forum held on Wed…

Professional Developers Conference (PDC) — Microsoft developer event Professional Developers Conference The Professional Developers Conference (PDC) was Microsoft's premier developer event for announcing platform direction, revealing APIs and SDKs, and offering deep technical session…

PSA Flight 182 — 1978 midair collision over San Diego PSA Flight 182 PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727 that collided with a Cessna 172 over San Diego on September 25, 1978, killed 144 people. The crash led to major safety reviews and remains California's…

Pukhrayan train derailment (20 November 2016) Pukhrayan train derailment Derailment of the Indore–Rajendra Nagar Express at Pukhrayan, near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 20 Nov 2016. The accident killed around 140 people and injured over 200; investigations…

Quinceañera: Latin American Coming-of-Age Celebration Quinceañera A quinceañera is a cultural coming-of-age celebration for a girl’s fifteenth birthday in many Latin American communities, blending religious rites, family rituals, dance, and socia…

Rave (electronic dance music event) Rave A rave is a large dance event centered on electronic music, DJs, and immersive visual effects. Originating in 1980s acid house scenes, raves range from underground parties to major…

Reading and Leeds Festivals Twin annual British music festivals held over the late-August bank holiday weekend in Reading and Leeds, sharing the same bill and run by Festival Republic.

Reagan's 'States' Rights' Speech at the Neshoba County Fair (1980) Reagan's Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech An overview of Ronald Reagan's 1980 Neshoba County Fair address — themes, context, controversy, and its place in late-20th-century American politics.

Reichstag fire (1933): arson, response, and its role in Nazi consolidation Reichstag fire The Reichstag fire of 27 February 1933 destroyed much of Germany’s parliamentary building. The blaze, arrests, and emergency measures accelerated the Nazis' seizure of power and re…

Republic of Ezo A short-lived 1869 breakaway state on Hokkaido formed by former Tokugawa retainers under Enomoto Takeaki; defeated by Imperial forces at Hakodate and absorbed into Meiji Japan.

Reunion (gathering) and Réunion (island) Reunion Reunion commonly denotes a meeting of people who were once connected; Réunion (with an accent) is a French island in the Indian Ocean. This entry covers meanings, organization, and…

Revolutions of 1848 (Spring of Nations) Revolutions of 1848 Widespread liberal, national and social uprisings across Europe in 1848 seeking constitutional reform, national self-determination and social change; mostly suppressed but influent…