Dossier №268

1,975 AD

North Vietnamese forces capture Saigon, ending the Vietnam War.

This question uses 1975 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

The evacuation of the American embassy and the city’s surrender marked the reunification of Vietnam under communist rule.

1,770 AD

James Cook charts the eastern coast of Australia for Britain.

This question uses 1770 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

The voyage produced detailed European maps and claims while disregarding the sovereignty of Aboriginal peoples.

1,088 AD

A community of legal scholars and students begins the institution later recognized as the University of Bologna.

This question uses 1088 AD as its sourced chronological anchor.

Its organization became an influential model for medieval universities and the revival of Roman legal study.

480 BC

A small Greek force makes a doomed stand against Xerxes’ army at Thermopylae.

This question uses 480 BC as its sourced chronological anchor.

The delaying action became legendary while simultaneous naval resistance and later battles decided the invasion’s outcome.

2,500 BC

Scribes at Ebla begin building a palace archive of thousands of clay tablets.

This question uses 2500 BC as its sourced chronological anchor.

The archive preserves administrative, diplomatic, lexical, and literary records from a powerful Syrian city-state.