Colin Powell Dies: Trailblazing General and Secretary of State
Colin Powell grew up in the South Bronx, the son of Jamaican immigrants. He joined the ROTC at City College, served two tours in Vietnam, and rose through the Army to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the first Black man to hold the position. He commanded the Coalition forces in the Gulf War. As Secretary of State he presented evidence of Iraqi weapons programs to the UN Security Council in February 2003. Much of it was wrong. He called it a blot on his record for the rest of his life. He died in October 2021 of COVID-19 complications, having been immunocompromised.
October 18, 2021
5 years ago
What Else Happened on October 18
Agrippina the Elder starved herself to death on the island of Pandateria after Emperor Tiberius banished her for mourning her sons Nero and Drusus. Her final ac…
Pappus of Alexandria recorded a solar eclipse on this day, using the rare celestial event to refine his mathematical commentary on Ptolemy’s Almagest. His metic…
King Chlothar II issued the Edict of Paris, protecting the rights of Frankish nobles and limiting royal power over the church and aristocracy. It also banned Je…
Dagobert I became King of the Franks at age 33 in 629. His father had given him Austrasia to rule at age 10. Dagobert spent his reign consolidating Frankish ter…
Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre destroyed in 1009. His workers hacked down to bedrock, trying to obliterate the site Chris…
Cnut the Great crushed the English army at the Battle of Assandun, ending Anglo-Saxon resistance to his rule. This decisive victory forced King Edmund Ironside …
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.