On this day

4 November in history.

5 moments from 1737 to 1960: discovery, creativity and courage, each with a source to read more.

5 moments

Inside the tomb of Tutankhamun.

1922

Tutankhamun's tomb is found. A team led by the British Egyptologist Howard Carter found the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Wikipedia: Tomb of Tutankhamun

Photo: EditorfromMars / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

More from 4 November

  1. The Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.

    1737

    Naples opens the Teatro di San Carlo

    Naples inaugurated the Teatro di San Carlo, which is now the oldest opera house in Europe still in use.

    Wikipedia: Teatro di San Carlo

    Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  2. Portrait of Sir James Young Simpson.

    1847

    Chloroform is found to put patients to sleep

    Scottish doctor Sir James Young Simpson discovered that chloroform could be used as an anaesthetic.

    Wikipedia: James Young SimpsonWikipedia: AnestheticWikipedia: Chloroform

    Photo: Unidentified photographer / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

  3. The badge of the City and South London Railway on a London monument.

    1890

    The first deep underground railway opens

    London opened the City and South London Railway, the first railway in the world to run deep below ground. Its 5.1 km (3.2 mile) line linked the City of London with Stockwell.

    Wikipedia: City and South London RailwayWikipedia: Rapid transitWikipedia: City of London

    Photo: Denis Barber / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

  4. Statue of Jane Goodall with a chimpanzee, outside the Field Museum in Chicago.

    1960

    Jane Goodall sees chimpanzees make tools

    Watching chimpanzees in Tanzania, Jane Goodall saw them make tools. Nobody had ever recorded an animal other than humans doing this.

    Wikipedia: Kasakela chimpanzee communityWikipedia: Jane GoodallWikipedia: Eastern chimpanzee

    Photo: Geary / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Moments chosen for discovery, creativity and courage. Each one links to a source where you can read more; photos are credited to their owners.