1541day.year
French explorer Jacques Cartier lands near Quebec City in his third voyage to Canada.
Jacques Cartier lands near present-day Quebec City on his third voyage in 1541, laying groundwork for New France.
In 1541, Jacques Cartier embarked on his third and final expedition to North America for King Francis I.
On August 23, his fleet reached the banks of the St. Lawrence River near modern Quebec City.
Cartier’s crew built temporary fortifications and conducted early experiments in agriculture.
Interactions with Indigenous peoples provided crucial knowledge of the land and resources.
Despite harsh winters and scurvy, the voyage underscored France’s colonial ambitions in the New World.
Cartier’s charts and accounts would later guide explorers and settlers in establishing New France.
1541
Jacques Cartier
Quebec City
2006day.year
Natascha Kampusch, who had been abducted at the age of ten, escapes from her captor Wolfgang Přiklopil, after eight years of captivity.
After eight years in captivity, Austrian kidnapping victim Natascha Kampusch escaped from her abductor Wolfgang Přiklopil. Her dramatic freedom captivated global attention.
On August 23, 2006, Natascha Kampusch, who had been held captive since the age of ten, managed to flee from her confinement in a basement cell outside Vienna. Her abductor, Wolfgang Přiklopil, died by suicide shortly after her escape as authorities closed in. The case revealed severe lapses in police investigations and raised questions about child abduction awareness in Austria. Kampusch’s subsequent memoir and interviews shed light on her ordeal and the psychological impact of long-term captivity. Her survival story inspired discussions on trauma recovery and victim advocacy. The escape remains one of the most high-profile kidnapping cases in modern European history.
2006
Natascha Kampusch
Wolfgang Přiklopil
2010day.year
The Manila hostage crisis occurred near the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Philippines killing 9 people including the perpetrator while injuring 9 others.
A failed rescue during the Manila hostage crisis at Quirino Grandstand left nine dead and nine injured.
On August 23, 2010, a disgruntled former police officer hijacked a tourist bus near Manila's Quirino Grandstand, taking 25 passengers hostage. The captor demanded redress for alleged police injustice, leading to a four-hour standoff. Despite negotiations, the Philippine SWAT team launched an assault after hostages began to suffer, triggering a volley of gunfire. The operation left eight hostages and the perpetrator dead, and nine others wounded. Many of the victims were Hong Kong tourists, straining diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Hong Kong. The incident prompted major reforms in hostage rescue protocols and police procedures in the Philippines.
2010
Manila hostage crisis
Quirino Grandstand