This Week in History · 10 Aug 2026 · 9 min

Magellan Sets Sail, Hip-Hop Is Born & Social Security Signed | Aug 10–14

From Magellan's world-circling fleet to the Bronx party that invented hip-hop, this week in history is packed with moments that reshaped civilisation. Plus: Babe Ruth's 500th home run, Hedy Lamarr's secret Wi-Fi patent, the fall of the Aztec Empire, and FDR's Social Security Act.

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Magellan Sets Sail, Hip-Hop Is Born & Social Security Signed | Aug 10–14

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On August twenty-fourth, nineteen thirty-two, above the American continent, Amelia Earhart climbed into her cockpit in Los Angeles and pointed her aircraft east. Hours later, she touched down in Newark, New Jersey, becoming the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop in a solo flight.

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