434 Archbishop Maximianus of Constantinople (died)
1204 The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.
1500 Joachim Camerarius (born), German scholar (died 1574)
1526 Muretus (born), French philosophor (died 1585)
1550 Edward de Vere (born), 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier (died 1604)
1557 Cuenca is founded in Ecuador.
1577 Christian IV (born) of Denmark (died 1648)
1606 The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
1675 Richard Bennett (died), English politician, Governor of Virginia (born 1609)
1684 Nicola Amati (died), Italian instrument maker (born 1596)
1705 William Cookworthy, English minister and pharmacist (died 1780)
1722 Pietro Nardini (born), Italian violinist and composer (died 1793)
1748 Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (born), French botanist (died 1836)
1748 William Kent (died), English architect, designed Holkham Hall and Chiswick House (born 1685)
1776 –With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.
1777 Henry Clay (born), American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (died 1852)
1814 Charles Burney (died), English historian (born 1726)
1817 Charles Messier (died), French astronomer (born 1730)
1831 Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England cause it to collapse.
1851 Edward Walter Maunder (born), English astronomer (died 1928)
1852 Ferdinand von Lindemann (born), German mathematician (died 1939)
1861 American Civil War: The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
1862 American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).
1864 American Civil War: The Fort Pillow massacre: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow,Tennessee.
1865 American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.
1866 Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood (died), English politician, founded Fleetwood (born 1801)
1877 The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.
1878 William M. Tweed (died), American politician (born 1823)
1884 Otto Meyerhof (born), German physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1951)
1888 Heinrich Neuhaus (born), Ukrainian-Russian pianist (died 1964)
1892 Johnny Dodds (born), American clarinet player and saxophonist (died 1940)
1898 Lily Pons (born), French-American soprano and actress (died 1976)
1902 Marie Alfred Cornu (died), French physicist (born 1842)
1903 Jan Tinbergen (born), Dutch economist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994)
1912 Clara Barton (died) American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (born 1821)
1912 Hound Dog Taylor (born), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1975)
1919 Billy Vaughn (born), American singer and bandleader (died 1991)
1924 Peter Safar (born), Austrian physician (died 2003)
1927 April 12 Incident: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.
1932 Tiny Tim (born), American singer and ukulele player (died 1996)
1934 The strongest surface wind gust in the world at 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire.
1934 The U.S. Auto-Lite Strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
1940 Herbie Hancock (born), American pianist, composer, and bandleader (Miles Davis Quintet)
1942 Carlos Reutemann (born), Argentinian race car driver and politician, Governor of Santa Fe
1944 John Kay (born), German-Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Sparrows and Steppenwolf)
1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt (died), American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (born 1882)
1945 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies while in office; Vice-President Harry Truman is sworn in as the 33rd President.
1947 David Letterman (born), American comedian and talk show host
1947 Tom Clancy (born), American author (died 2013)
1948 Lois Reeves (born), American singer (Martha and the Vandellas)
1949 Scott Turow (born), American lawyer and author
1950 David Cassidy (born), American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
1950 Flavio Briatore (born), Italian businessman
1954 Jon Krakauer (born), American author
1954 Pat Travers (born), Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1955 The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
1957 Vince Gill (born), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Pure Prairie League and The Notorious Cherry Bombs)
1961 The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, in Vostok3KA-2 (Vostok 1).
1964 Amy Ray (born), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Indigo Girls)
1965 Tom O’Brien (born), American actor and producer
1968 Heinrich Nordhoff (died), German engineer (born 1899)
1970 Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
1978 Guy Berryman (born), Scottish bass player and producer (Coldplay and Apparatjik)
1979 Claire Danes (born), American actress
1981 Joe Louis (died), American boxer (born 1914)
1981 The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place – the STS-1 mission.
1983 Anthony Sedlak (born), Canadian chef (died 2012)
1989 Abbie Hoffman (died), American activist, co-founded Youth International Party (born 1936)
1989 Sugar Ray Robinson (died), American boxer (born 1921)
1992 The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland. The resort and its park’s name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.
1999 Boxcar Willie (died), American singer-songwriter (born 1931)
1999 US President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a sexual harassment civil lawsuit.
2001 Harvey Ball (died), American illustrator, created the smiley (born 1921)
2008 Jerry Zucker (died), Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist (born 1949)
EO Smith
Latest posts by EO Smith (see all)
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- Alternative Facts and Science - 24 January, 2017