Gladiator games

The first recorded gladiatorial combat occurred when three pairs of gladiators fought to the death during the funeral of Junius Brutus in 264 BC. Gladiator games peaked around 80 AD with the completion of the Coliseum, built specifically for the games. A typical day at the games featured a procession of combatants, animal displays, executions of criminals, and individual gladiatorial combats.
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First oil well

The first oil well was struck in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1859. The discovery of oil in the middle of quiet farm country in northwestern Pennsylvania was known as the Drake Well, after "Colonel" Edwin Drake, the man responsible for the well. The oil discovery set off a worldwide search for petroleum.
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Broadband lines

According to WebsiteOptimzation.com, China officially passed the U.S. in total broadband lines during the third quarter of 2006, and now has the largest subscriber base in the world. The U.S. and China are followed by Japan, South Korea, Germany, and France in total broadband lines per country.
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Sir William Osler

"One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine." -- Sir William Osler.
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Starbucks

Starbucks first opened for business at Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971. Starbucks operated solely as a coffee roasting facility until 1982 when the owners began marketing their coffee to upscale restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Inspired by Italian cafes, the owners opened their first retail coffee bar in Seattle in 1985. By 1987, seventeen Starbucks Cafes were established.
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Pulitzer Prizes

Nineteenth Century journalist and iconic newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer established in his 1904 will the provision for the Pulitzer Prizes as incentive for journalistic excellence. The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded in 1917 to Herbert Bayard Swope (reporting), the New York Tribune (editorial), J.J. Jusserand (history), Laura E. Richards and Maude Howe Elliott (biography).
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First televised hole-in-one

British hall of fame golfer Tony Jacklin hit the first televised hole-in-one while competing in the 1967 Dunlop Masters. Jacklin aced the 163-yard 16th hole at Royal St. George's golf course in the final round that helped him to a victory. The shot was one of the most significant ever taken by a British golfer.
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