Harvard College is founded
Harvard University is now the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its influence, wealth, and rankings have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
North & Central America
Spanish settlers found Tegucigalpa, now the capital and largest city of Honduras
Tegucigalpa was founded by Spanish settlers as Real de Minas de San Miguel de Tegucigalpa on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing native settlement of the Pech, Tolupans and the Twahkas
Rodrigo de Bastidas becomes the first European to explore the Isthmus of Panama
A year later Christopher Columbus on his fourth voyage, sailing south and eastward from upper Central America, explored Bocas del Toro, Veragua, the Chagres River and Portobelo (Beautiful Port) which he named.
The Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples form the Iroquois Confederation
The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee is believed to have been founded by the Peacemaker in 1142 or 1451 C.E., bringing together five distinct nations in the southern Great Lakes area into “The Great League of Peace”.
The Mexica people found Tenochtitlan
Eventually, Tenochtitlan came to be the capital of the vast Aztec Empire. At its peak, it was likely home to more than 200,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
Inuit culture emerges in the Arctic
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting Inuit Nunangat, the regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska
Construction begins at the Grand Ball Court of Chichen Itza
The Great Ballcourt of Chichen Itza, measuring 146 m x 36 m, is the largest in Mesoamerica.
Erik the Red founds the first European settlement on Greenland
Erik Thorvaldsson (c. 950 – c. 1003), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland.
The Norse settle Greenland
Norsemen settled the uninhabited southern part of Greenland beginning in the 10th century, having previously settled Iceland to escape persecution from the King of Norway and his central government.
The Maya civilization thrives in modern-day Belize
In the late classic period of the Maya civilization, it is estimated that between 400,000 and 1,000,000 people inhabited the area that is now Belize.