π The golden spike joins America's railroad (1869)
Where: Promontory Summit, Utah
Nearby on the globe: Salt Lake Temple β π Open the 3D globe
π On This Day: May 10
May 10, 1869: The golden spike joins America's railroad. On this day in 1869, railroads built from the east and the west finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah. A ceremonial golden spike was driven in at the meeting point. Now people could cross America by train.
β¨ More events on this day
- 1503 πΏ Christopher Columbus reached the Cayman Islands and named them Las Tortugas because of the huge numbers of sea turtles living there.
- 1824 π¨ The National Gallery in London opened to the public, and today anyone can walk in for free to see famous paintings by artists like Van Gogh.
- 1908 π¨ Mother's Day was celebrated for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia, thanks to Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honour her mother.
π§ Question of the day
What was driven in where the railroads met?
- A diamond nail
- A golden spike
- A wooden post
Show the answer
Answer: A golden spike
π Landmarks that opened on May 10
Questions
What happened on May 10?
May 10, 1869: The golden spike joins America's railroad. It happened in Promontory Summit, Utah.
Which landmarks opened on May 10?
Church of Saint Sava (consecrated 2004).
In the game, the "Today on Earth" panel shows this story on its day, with a question to answer and a place to fly to.