Thought the purges of Stalin were whack
And when Cuba got hot, he pulled back
But he slammed down his shoe
Said, “We will bury you!”
In the end, died of a heart attack

Event: Nikita Khrushchev becomes Premier of the Soviet Union (also known as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers)
Year: 1958
Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchev

Able was he, ere he saw that isle
Luckily, he was there but a while
Given a second chance
He ran quick back to France
Entered Paris in very grand style

Event: Napoleon returns to Paris, marking the beginning of the “Hundred Days”
Year: 1815
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Days
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France

Lincoln heard Thad and Horace’s plea
But he knew that he must wait and see
“In good time, we’ll amend
But for now, let’s not send
To their owners those slaves who ran free”

Event: Congress passes a law forbidding Union army officers to return fugitive slaves to their owners
Year: 1862
Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Gaze in pity at Jesus’ slumped frame
Watch the finger of God take its aim
Look at David, agog–
This was no underdog!
Michelangelo’s “few” claims to fame

Event: Birth of Michelangelo
Year: 1475
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo

Seven score and nine years now before
Lincoln spoke of devotion in war
But he’d ne’er have been there
Had he not, three years ere
Let us know of the plans he’d in store

Event: Abraham Lincoln delivers a speech at Cooper Union in New York City, considered instrumental to his receiving the Republican nomination for the upcoming presidential election
Year: 1860
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Union_speech
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address

Nowadays, people sure like to rock
But you’ll find, if you turn back the clock
It’ly’s musical stage
Was much longer the rage
Though today folks ask, “What’s Opera, Doc?”

Event: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville premiers
Year: 1816
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber_of_seville

James the Second felt very alone
When by Parliament he was door shown
“We don’t like your friends much
So we’re calling the Dutch
And we’re giving that Bill guy your throne”

Event: William III is proclaimed King of England, Scotland, and Ireland
Year: 1689
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorious_Revolution

“Now that freedom has got enough votes
What to do about all these red coats?
To have even a chance
We must go now to France
Ask for soldiers and money and boats”

Event: The United States and France sign the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce
Year: 1778
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Alliance_%281778%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-American_Treaty_of_Amity_and_Commerce

Wicked Kira took care of their boss
Brave Ōishi was really quite cross
Waited two years, and then
With his forty-six men
Showed the world how to take care of dross

Event: The forty-seven ronin carry out their vendetta against Kira Yoshinaka, who was responsible for the death of their lord
Year: 1703
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABshingura

After driving the Khans from Beijing
Yuanzhang thought, “Hey, I’ll make myself king!”
With the Mongols now gone
It was time for the Han
And the dynasty they would call Ming

Event: Zhu Yuanzhang proclaims himself emperor, marking the beginning of the Ming Dynasty
Year: 1368
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_Dynasty