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Contents

Events

Births

Deaths

Holidays and observances

External links

Events

★ 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed.

★ 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regards to native Indians in the New World.

★ 1657 - The Flushing Remonstrance is signed.

★ 1703 - Portugal and England sign the Methuen Treaty which gives preference to Portuguese imported wines into England.

★ 1814 - Destruction of schooner Carolina, the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson's make-shift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson's victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

★ 1831 - Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS ''Beagle'', where he will formulate the theory of evolution.

★ 1836 - The worst ever avalanche in England occurs at Lewes, Sussex, killing 8 people.

★ 1845 - Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time by Dr. Crawford Williamson Long in Jefferson, Georgia.

★ 1918 - The Great Poland Uprising against the Germans begins.

★ 1923 - Namba Daisuke, a Japanese student, tries to assassinate the Prince Regent Hirohito

★ 1929 - Leon Trotsky is deported from the Soviet Union in February 1929. His first station in exile was at Büyükada off the coast of Istanbul, where he stayed four years.

★ 1932 - The Radio City Music Hall in New York City opens.

★ 1939 - Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an earthquake.

★ 1945 - The World Bank is created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations.

★ 1949 - Indonesian National Revolution: The Netherlands officially recognizes Indonesian independence.

★ 1968 - Apollo Program: Apollo 8 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, ending humanity's second manned mission to the Moon.

★ 1978 - Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship.

★ 1979 - The Soviet Union seizes control of Afghanistan and Babrak Karmal replaces overthrown and executed President Hafizullah Amin.

★ 1985 - Palestinian guerrillas kill eighteen people inside Rome and Vienna airports.

★ 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul.

★ 1997 - Protestant paramilitary leader Billy Wright is assassinated in Northern Ireland.

★ 2001 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States.

★ 2002 - Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya.

Births

★ 1390 - Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (d. 1411)

★ 1571 - Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)

★ 1654 - Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)

★ 1683 - Conyers Middleton, English minister (d. 1750)

★ 1714 - Kristijonas Donelaitis, Lithuanian poet (d. 1780)

★ 1715 - Philippe de Noailles, duc de Mouchy, French soldier (d. 1794)

★ 1717 - Pope Pius VI (d. 1799)

★ 1721 - François Hemsterhuis, Dutch philosopher (d. 1790)

★ 1773 - George Cayley, English scientist, inventor, and politician (d. 1857)

★ 1776 - Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (d. 1811)

★ 1796 - Mirza Ghalib, Indian poet (d. 1869)

★ 1803 - François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, French Canadian Patriote (d. 1839)

★ 1822 - Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)

★ 1823 - Sir Mackenzie Bowell, fifth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1896)

★ 1832 - Pavel Tretyakov, Russian businessman and patron of art (d. 1897)

★ 1864 - René Georges Hermann-Paul, French artist

★ 1879 - Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)

★ 1883 - Cyrus S. Eaton, Canadian-American financier, industrialist and philanthropist (d. 1979)

★ 1888 - Thea von Harbou, German author and actress (d. 1954)

★ 1896 - Carl Zuckmayer, German author and dramatist (d. 1977)

★ 1896 - Louis Bromfield, American writer (d. 1956)

★ 1896 - Maurice De Waele, Belgian cyclist (d. 1952)

★ 1900 - Hans Stuck, German race car driver (d. 1978)

★ 1901 - Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)

★ 1906 - Oscar Levant, American pianist, composer, and actor (d. 1972)

★ 1907 - Sebastian Haffner, German journalist and writer (d. 1999)

★ 1907 - Conrad L. Raiford, Goodwill Ambassador (d. 2002)

★ 1910 - Charles Olson, American poet (d. 1970)

★ 1915 - Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)

★ 1915 - William Masters, American gynecologist (d. 2001)

★ 1915 - Gyula Zsengellér, Hungarian footballer

★ 1917 - Onni Palaste, Finnish writer

★ 1918 - John Celardo, American comic strip artist

★ 1920 - Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (d. 2005)

★ 1925 - Michel Piccoli, French actor

★ 1926 - Jerome Courtland, American actor, director and producer

★ 1927 - Antony Gardner, British politician

★ 1927 - Agnes Nixon, American television producer, director, and writer

★ 1930 - Wilfrid Sheed, English-born American writer

★ 1931 - Scotty Moore, American guitarist

★ 1934 - Larissa Latynina, Russian gymnast

★ 1939 - John Amos, American actor

★ 1941 - Michael Pinder, British musician (Moody Blues)

★ 1941 - Nolan Richardson, American basketball coach

★ 1942 - Byron Browne, baseball player

★ 1942 - Charmian Carr, American actress

★ 1943 - Cokie Roberts, American journalist

★ 1943 - Joan Manuel Serrat, Spanish musician

★ 1943 - Peter Sinfield, British lyricist and producer

★ 1944 - Barry Elliot British actor

★ 1944 - Mick Jones, British musician (Foreigner)

★ 1946 - Janet Street-Porter, British journalist, producer and presenter

★ 1947 - Tracy Nelson, American blues singer

★ 1947 - Mickey Redmond, National Hockey League player

★ 1948 - Gérard Depardieu, French actor

★ 1950 - Roberto Bettega, Italian footballer

★ 1950 - Terry Bozzio, American drummer (Missing Persons)

★ 1951 - Ernesto Zedillo, President of Mexico

★ 1952 - Karla Bonoff, American singer and songwriter

★ 1952 - Jay Hill, Canadian politician

★ 1952 - David Knopfler, British musician (Dire Straits)

★ 1955 - Barbara Olson, American political commentator (d. 2001)

★ 1955 - Brad Murphey, Australian racing driver

★ 1959 - Gerina Dunwich, American author

★ 1959 - Andre Tippett, American football player

★ 1960 - Maryam d'Abo, British actress

★ 1960 - Victoria Paige Meyerink, American actress and producer

★ 1962 - Mark Few, American basketball coach

★ 1962 - Bill Self, American basketball coach

★ 1962 - Sherri Steinhauer, American golfer

★ 1965 - Salman Khan, Indian actor

★ 1966 - Wendy Coakley-Thompson, American writer

★ 1966 - Eva LaRue, American actress

★ 1966 - Bill Goldberg, American football player and professional wrestler

★ 1966 - Fabian Núñez, American politician

★ 1969 - Jean-Christophe Boullion, French race car driver

★ 1969 - Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist

★ 1970 - Brendon Cook, Australian racing driver and rugby player

★ 1971 - Joanie Laurer, American professional wrestler

★ 1971 - Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer

★ 1972 - Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor

★ 1972 - Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)

★ 1973 - Kristoffer Zegers, Dutch Composer

★ 1973 - Wilson Cruz, Puerto Rican actor

★ 1973 - Dee Ferris, British painter

★ 1974 - Masi Oka, Japanese-American actor

★ 1974 - Jay Pandolfo, American ice hockey player

★ 1975 - Heather O'Rourke, American actress (d. 1988)

★ 1976 - Fernando Pisani, Canadian/Italian ice hockey player

★ 1977 - Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress

★ 1979 - David Dunn, English footballer

★ 1979 - Carson Palmer, American football player

★ 1979 - Jacqueline Pillon, Canadian actress

★ 1980 - Claudio Castagnoli, Swiss wrestler

★ 1980 - Cas Haley, American singer and guitarist

★ 1981 - Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress

★ 1982 - James Mead, American guitarist (Kutless)

★ 1982 - Terji Skibenæs, Faroese guitarist, (Týr)

★ 1983 - Cole Hamels, American baseball player

★ 1984 - Gilles Simon, French tennis player

★ 1988 - Hayley Williams, American singer (Paramore)

Deaths

★ 418 - Zosimus, Greek pope

★ 1076 - Prince Svyatoslav II of Kiev (b. 1027)

★ 1381 - Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March, English politician

★ 1548 - Francesco Spiera, Italian Protestant jurist (b. 1502)

★ 1603 - Thomas Cartwright, English Puritan clergyman

★ 1707 - Jean Mabillon, French palaeograopher and diplomat (b. 1632)

★ 1737 - William Bowyer, English printer (b. 1663)

★ 1743 - Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659)

★ 1771 - Henri Pitot, French engineer (b. 1695)

★ 1782 - Henry Home, Lord Kames, Scottish philosopher (b. 1697)

★ 1800 - Hugh Blair, Scottish preacher and man of letters (b. 1718)

★ 1812 - Shneur Zalman of Liadi, Lithuanian rabbi and founder of Chabad Hasidism (b. 1745)

★ 1812 - Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess.

★ 1834 - Charles Lamb, English essayist (b. 1775)

★ 1836 - Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (b. 1793)

★ 1858 - Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French composer (b. 1785)

★ 1896 - John Brown, British manufacturer (b. 1816)

★ 1900 - William George Armstrong, English inventor, industrialist, and engineer (b. 1810)

★ 1914 - Charles Martin Hall, American chemist and inventor (b. 1863)

★ 1923 - Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (b. 1832)

★ 1925 - Sergei Yesenin, Russian poet (b. 1895)

★ 1938 - Calvin Bridges, American geneticist (b. 1889)

★ 1938 - Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (b. 1891)

★ 1950 - Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)

★ 1952 - Patrick Joseph Hartigan, Australian Roman Catholic priest (b. 1878)

★ 1953 - Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (b. 1894)

★ 1955 - Alfred Francis Blakeney Carpenter, English soldier (b. 1881)

★ 1956 - Lambert McKenna, Irish editor and lexicographer. (b. 1870)

★ 1965 - Edgar Ende, German painter (b. 1901)

★ 1966 - Guillermo Stábile, Argentine footballer (b. 1906)

★ 1972 - Lester B. Pearson, fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada, recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1897)

★ 1974 - Vladimir Aleksandrovich Fock, Russian physicist (b. 1898)

★ 1978 - Bob Luman, American country and rockabilly singer (b. 1937)

★ 1978 - Houari Boumédienne, President of Algeria (b. 1932)

★ 1981 - Hoagy Carmichael, American composer and singer (b. 1899)

★ 1982 - John Swigert, American astronaut (b. 1931)

★ 1987 - Geoffrey D Lloyd, Chairman of the guild of British Newspaper editors (b. 1933)

★ 1988 - Hal Ashby, American film director (b. 1929)

★ 1992 - Kay Boyle, American writer (b. 1902)

★ 1993 - André Pilette, Belgian racing driver (b. 1918)

★ 1995 - Shura Cherkassky, Ukrainian classical pianist (b. 1909)

★ 1997 - Brendan Gill, American columnist and humorist (b. 1914)

★ 1997 - Billy Wright, Irish Protestant paramilitary leader (b. 1960)

★ 2002 - George Roy Hill, American film director (b. 1922)

★ 2003 - Alan Bates, English actor (b. 1934)

★ 2003 - Ivan Calderon, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (murdered) (b. 1962)

★ 2004 - Hank Garland, American musician (b. 1930)

★ 2005 - William Doody, Canadian politician (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances

★ R.C. Saints - John the Apostle and Evangelist; Nicarete, an early Byzantine female physician.

★ St. Stephen's Day among Orthodox Churches; a public holiday in Romania.

★ The second day of Christmas in Western Christianity.

External links

★ BBC: On This Day

★

★ On This Day in Canada
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