Events

United States presidential inauguration The formal ceremony in which the president-elect takes the constitutionally required oath, begins the presidential term, and symbolically receives executive authority in the United…

Universiade: The International University Multi‑Sport Games Universiade The Universiade is a biennial international multi‑sport competition for university athletes, organized by FISU. It comprises summer and winter editions, sporting contests and cultu…

University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting (April 30, 2019) University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting A classroom shooting at UNC Charlotte on April 30, 2019 wounded several people and left two dead; the suspect, Trystan Terrell, was taken into custody. The attack prompted a campus…

University of Texas tower shooting (August 1, 1966) University of Texas tower shooting A mass shooting at the University of Texas at Austin on August 1, 1966, in which a gunman fired from the campus tower, killing 16 people and wounding many; the event influenced cam…

Urbi et Orbi Urbi et Orbi is the traditional papal address and Apostolic Blessing “to the City and to the World,” delivered on major liturgical occasions and sometimes at special gatherings.

US Airways Flight 1549: The Hudson River Ditching and Its Aftermath US Airways Flight 1549 Emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan 15, 2009 — a successful ditching in the Hudson River after bird strikes that disabled both engines; investigation, rescue,…

ValuJet Airlines Flight 592: 1996 Everglades Crash and Its Legacy ValuJet Airlines Flight 592 ValuJet Flight 592 crashed in the Florida Everglades on May 11, 1996, killing all 110 aboard after an inflight cargo fire. The accident led to major investigations, regulatory chan…

Van Resistance (Siege of Van, 1915) Van Resistance Armenian self-defence in the city of Van during World War I, where local inhabitants resisted Ottoman forces in April–May 1915; a contested episode in the wider wartime violence in…

Vancouver International Film Festival Annual two-week film festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, showcasing East Asian cinema, Canadian film and documentary programming each late September–early October since 1982.

Vargas tragedy: 1999 mudslides and floods on Venezuela's north coast Vargas tragedy A catastrophic series of floods and landslides that struck Vargas state, Venezuela in December 1999, causing massive loss of life, destruction of towns and near-total collapse of l…

Vasaloppet USA (Mora, Minnesota) Vasaloppet USA Annual long-distance cross-country ski race held each February around Mora, Minnesota, established in 1973. Main mass-start event about 58 km, inspired by Sweden's Vasaloppet; incl…

Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha (1930) Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha A nonviolent civil-disobedience campaign led by C. Rajagopalachari in April 1930 to defy the British salt laws in the Madras Presidency as part of the wider Civil Disobedience Move…

Velvet Revolution (Czechoslovakia, 1989) Velvet Revolution Peaceful mass movement in Czechoslovakia from 17 Nov–29 Dec 1989 that toppled Communist one‑party rule and began the country's transition to democracy and market reforms.

Vengeance (2001) — first WWF Vengeance pay-per-view Vengeance (2001) Vengeance (2001) was the inaugural Vengeance professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation on December 9, 2001, at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Vengeance (2002) — WWE pay-per-view in Detroit Vengeance (2002) Vengeance (2002) was a WWE SmackDown-exclusive pay-per-view held July 21, 2002 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. It was the second Vengeance event and the first under the WWE name aft…

Vengeance (2003) — WWE pay-per-view at the Pepsi Center Vengeance (2003) A World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view held July 27, 2003 at Denver's Pepsi Center. The Raw-brand Vengeance card served as a mid‑season culmination of ongoing WWE storylines…

Vengeance (2004) — WWE pay-per-view event Vengeance (2004) Vengeance (2004) was the fourth annual WWE pay-per-view held July 11, 2004 in Hartford. The event featured talent from both Raw and SmackDown brands and served as a mid‑season chap…

Vengeance (2005) — WWE pay-per-view event in Las Vegas Vengeance (2005) Vengeance (2005) was a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view held June 26, 2005 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It was the fifth event in the Vengeance series.

Vengeance (2006) — WWE pay-per-view event in Charlotte Vengeance (2006) Overview and outcomes of WWE Vengeance (June 25, 2006), a Raw-brand pay-per-view; card highlights, match types, storyline context, reception, and commercial performance.

Venice Film Festival Annual international film festival held on the Lido of Venice, Italy. Founded in 1932, it is the world's oldest film festival and a major showcase for international and auteur cine…

Verizon Ladies First Tour (2004) — Beyoncé, Alicia Keys & Missy Elliott Verizon Ladies First Tour A 2004 co-headlining concert tour that paired R&B/soul stars Beyoncé and Alicia Keys with hip‑hop innovator Missy Elliott on a Verizon‑sponsored North American run featuring solo s…

Video game crash of 1977 (Pong-era downturn) Video game crash of 1977 An early collapse in the video game market caused by a flood of Pong-style dedicated consoles, intense price competition, and shifting consumer interest that led to industry consol…

Vienna International Film Festival (Viennale) Vienna International Film Festival Annual October film festival in Vienna since 1960, presenting international arthouse cinema, retrospectives, premieres and several awards including the Vienna Film Prize and the FI…

Vienna New Year's Concert (Vienna Philharmonic) Vienna New Year's Concert Annual New Year concert by the Vienna Philharmonic at the Wiener Musikverein featuring Strauss waltzes, polkas and marches; globally broadcast and regarded as a cultural tradition…

Viking Invasion of Britain (865) — the Great Heathen Army Viking invasion of Britain The Great Heathen Army was a large Viking force that arrived in England in 865 and shifted Norse activity from raids to prolonged conquest and settlement, reshaping Anglo-Saxon pol…

Villa Castelli helicopter crash (9 March 2015) Villa Castelli helicopter crash Collision of two helicopters near Villa Castelli, Argentina, on 9 March 2015 during filming of a television program; all 10 occupants died, including three prominent French athlete…

Virgin Mobile Festival A North American rock and alternative music festival spun off from the UK's V Festival, notable for multi-stage lineups, touring editions in the United States and Canada, and disti…

Waco siege (1993): raid, siege, and aftermath Waco siege A 1993 federal and Texas law enforcement operation against the Branch Davidians at the Mount Carmel ranch near Waco, Texas, that began with an ATF raid and ended 51 days later in a…

Wakarusa War (Kansas Territory, 1855) Wakarusa War An armed standoff in late 1855 in Kansas Territory between pro‑slavery forces and Free‑State settlers centered on Lawrence and the Wakarusa River during the Bleeding Kansas crisis.

Wall Street Crash of 1929 A sudden collapse of stock prices in late October 1929 on the New York Stock Exchange that helped precipitate the global Great Depression and led to major economic and regulatory c…

Wannsee Conference: coordination of the Nazi 'Final Solution' Wannsee Conference A January 1942 meeting near Berlin where senior Nazi officials secured interdepartmental cooperation for the regime’s “Final Solution,” now a key subject of Holocaust scholarship a…

Warsaw Uprising (1944) Warsaw Uprising The 1944 Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish Home Army to liberate Warsaw from German occupation; it lasted 63 days and ended in surrender amid heavy c…

Washington Navy Yard shooting (September 16, 2013) Washington Navy Yard shooting A mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in 2013 in which a lone gunman killed 12 people and wounded 14 at the NAVSEA headquarters; the attack prompted reviews of base security…

Washington Summit (1987) December 1987 meeting in Washington between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that produced the INF Treaty and advanced Cold War arms control talks.

Watergate scandal: the 1972–1974 U.S. political crisis Watergate scandal Major U.S. political scandal (1972–1974) involving a break-in, campaign espionage, a presidential cover-up, resignaton, and long-term reforms that reshaped American politics and jo…

Watts riots (August 1965) Watts riots A six-day outbreak of civil disorder in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in August 1965, driven by racial tension, policing practices, and economic inequality; 34 died and tho…

“We begin bombing in five minutes” — Reagan's 1984 microphone joke We begin bombing in five minutes A brief encyclopedia entry on Ronald Reagan's August 11, 1984 mic-check joke, its Cold War context, reactions in the United States and Soviet Union, and its lasting public signific…

Wedding: Ceremony, Traditions, and Cultural Variations Wedding An overview of weddings: common elements, roles, rites, legal aspects, cultural and religious variations, modern trends and practical considerations for ceremonial and civil unions…

Weinstein effect A social phenomenon from late 2017 where allegations against powerful figures, sparked by reporting on Harvey Weinstein, prompted widespread accusations, consequences, and debate a…

Wende — the peaceful political turnaround in East Germany (1989–1990) Wende The Wende describes the nonviolent collapse of communist rule in the German Democratic Republic (1989–1990), the political transition known as the Peaceful Revolution, and the path…

West Fertilizer Plant explosion (April 2013) West Fertilizer Plant explosion A powerful industrial blast in West, Texas in April 2013 when stored ammonium nitrate detonated after a fire, killing at least 14 people, injuring many and destroying much of the t…

Westgate shopping mall attack (September 2013) Westgate shopping mall attack A multi-day armed siege at Nairobi’s Westgate mall in September 2013 by Islamist gunmen that killed scores, wounded hundreds, took hostages, and prompted domestic and international…

White Nights Festival (St. Petersburg) White Nights Festival Annual cultural season in St. Petersburg that combines classical ballet, opera and orchestral programs with open-air concerts, carnivals and the mass Scarlet Sails celebration duri…

Wichita State University football team plane crash (October 2, 1970) Wichita State University football team plane crash On October 2, 1970 a chartered Martin 4-0-4 carrying the Wichita State University football team crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado. An official inquiry cited pilot error and poor…

Wikimania — international conference of the Wikimedia community Wikimania Wikimania is the annual conference for contributors, researchers, developers and institutions involved with Wikimedia projects and other wikis, organized with support from the Wiki…

Wimbledon Wimbledon — the annual grass‑court tennis Championships at the All England Club and the southwest London district that gives the event its name; known for tradition, Centre Court a…

Windscale fire (1957): major accident at Britain's first nuclear reactor Windscale fire A 1957 fire at the Windscale (now Sellafield) plutonium production reactor released radioactive material across the UK. The accident, response, and long-term effects remain signifi…

Winnipeg General Strike of 1919: causes, events and legacy Winnipeg general strike A major Canadian labour stoppage in 1919 in Winnipeg that drew tens of thousands of workers, sparked national debate and left a lasting impact on labour relations and politics.