From the foundation of Rome on April 21, 753 B.C. to the execution of Saddam Hussein on December 30, 2006, 1001 Days That Shaped the World focuses on those truly extraordinary moments that changed the direction of world history. This eminently readable volume summarizes each event in a brief but dramatic descriptive article supplemented with memorable illustrations or photos. Decisive battles, natural disasters, the rise of emperors, historic assassinations, the launching of successful inventions, the hatching of political plots, artistic and cultural milestones―these are just a few of the general categories that describe the momentous days as recounted by historian Peter Furtado and his team of writers and researchers. Just a few of the 1001 important days captured in these pages are:

Sept. 21, 490 B.C.―The Battle of Marathon

March 15, 44 B.C.― Julius Caesar assassinated

Dec. 25, 800―Charlemagne crowned Emperor in Rome

Oct. 14, 1066―The Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of Britain

Jan. 7, 1610―Galileo discovers the moons of Jupiter

Dec. 16, 1773―The Boston Tea Party

Dec. 2, 1804―Napoleon crowns himself emperor

Nov. 24, 1859―Darwin’s Origin of Species published

March 22, 1895―The first showing of a motion picture by the Lumière brothers

Apr. 17, 1906―The San Francisco earthquake

Dec. 7, 1941―The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor

Apr. 12, 1961―Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in Space

Nov. 9, 1989―The Berlin Wall Tumbles

Sept. 11, 2001―Al Qaeda attacks New York and Washington

Here is a book to read and enjoy. Filled with stories of human achievement, high drama, and unforgettable tragedy, 1001 Days That Shaped the World presents an accurate account of each event chosen, and explains the event’s physical, cultural, social, or economic impact on the world. Hundreds of evocative photos and illustrations.