351 The Jewish revolt against Gallus breaks out. After his arrival at Antioch, the Jews begin a rebellion in Palestine.
558 In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses. Justinian I immediately orders that the dome be rebuilt.
973 Otto I (died), Holy Roman Emperor (born 912)
1274 In France, the Second Council of Lyon opens to regulate the election of the Pope.
1328 Louis II (born), Elector of Brandenburg (died 1365)
1429 Joan of Arc ends the Siege of Orléans, pulling an arrow from her own shoulder and returning, wounded, to lead the final charge. The victory marks a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War.
1617 David Fabricius (died), German astronomer and theologian (born 1564)
1664 Louis XIV of France inaugurates the Palace of Versailles.
1697 Stockholm’s royal castle (dating back to medieval times) is destroyed by fire. It is replaced by the current Royal Palace in the eighteenth century.
1711 David Hume (born), Scottish economist, historian, and philosopher (died 1776)
1718 The city of New Orleans is founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville.
1763 American Indian Wars: Pontiac’s Rebellion begins Chief Pontiac begins the “Conspiracy of Pontiac” by attacking British forces at Fort Detroit.
1787 Jacques Viger (born), Canadian archaeologist and politician, 1st mayor of Montreal (died 1858)
1824 World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer’s supervision.
1826 Varina Davis (born), American wife of Jefferson Davis (died 1906)
1833 Johannes Brahms (born), German pianist and composer (died 1897)
1840 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (born), Russian composer (died 1893)
1840 The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in United States history.
1846 The Cambridge Chronicle, America’s oldest surviving weekly newspaper, is published for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts
1847 The American Medical Association is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1864 American Civil War: The Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, breaks off from the Battle of the Wilderness and moves southwards.
1885 George “Gabby” Hayes (born), American actor (died 1969)
1892 Archibald MacLeish (born), American poet, playwright, and lawyer (died 1982)
1892 Josip Broz Tito (born), Yugoslav marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (died 1980)
1895 In Saint Petersburg, Russian scientist Alexander Stepanovich Popov demonstrates to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society his invention, the Popov lightning detector — a primitive radio receiver. In some parts of the former Soviet Union the anniversary of this day is celebrated as Radio Day.
1901 Gary Cooper (born), American actor and singer (died 1961)
1909 Edwin H. Land (born), American scientist and inventor, co-founded the Polaroid Corporation (died 1991)
1915 World War I: German submarine U-20 sinks RMS Lusitania, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans. Public reaction to the sinking turns many formerly pro-Germans in the United States against the German Empire
1919 Eva Perón (born), Argentinian actress, 25th First Lady of Argentina (died 1952)
1920 The Art Gallery of Ontario, in Toronto, opens the first exhibition by the Group of Seven.
1922 Darren McGavin (born), American actor and director (died 2006)
1930 Totie Fields (born), American comedian and author (died 1978)
1931 Teresa Brewer (born), American singer (died 2007)
1939 Jimmy Ruffin (born), American singer
1939 Sidney Altman (born), Canadian-American biologist, Nobel Prize laureate
1940 Angela Carter (born), English author and journalist (died 1992)
1940 The Norway Debate in the British House of Commons begins, and leads to the replacement of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain with Winston Churchill three days later.
1941 James George Frazer (died), Scottish anthropologist (born 1854)
1942 During the Battle of the Coral Sea, United States Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attack and sink the Japanese Imperial Navy light aircraft carrier Shōhō. The battle marks the first time in the naval history that two enemy fleets fight without visual contact between warring ships.
1945 World War II: General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Reims, France, ending Germany’s participation in the war. The document takes effect the next day.
1946 Bill Kreutzmann (born), American drummer (Grateful Dead, The Other Ones, The Dead, 7 Walkers, Rhythm Devils, and BK3)
1946 Jerry Nolan (born), American drummer (The New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers, and The Pleasure Seekers/Cradle) (died 1992)
1946 Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with approximately 20 employees.
1950 Tim Russert (born) American journalist (died 2008)
1951 Bernie Marsden (born), English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Whitesnake, Paice Ashton Lord, Babe Ruth, and The Snakes)
1952 The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey W.A. Dummer.
1960 Cold War: U-2 Crisis of 1960 – Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that his nation is holding American U-2 pilot Gary Powers.
1961 Phil Campbell (born), Welsh guitarist and songwriter (Motörhead and Persian Risk)
1974 West German Chancellor Willy Brandt resigns.
1986 Canadian Patrick Morrow becomes the first person to climb each of the Seven Summits.
1992 Michigan ratifies a 203-year-old proposed amendment to the United States Constitution making the 27th Amendment law. This amendment bars the U.S. Congress from giving itself a mid-term pay raise.
1992 The Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on its first mission (STS-49).
1993 Mary Philbin (died), American actress (born 1903)
1994 Edvard Munch’s iconic painting The Scream is recovered undamaged after being stolen from the National Gallery of Norway in February.
1995 Ray McKinley (died), American drummer, singer, and bandleader (Glenn Miller Orchestra) (born 1910)
1998 Eddie Rabbitt (died), American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1941)
1998 Mercedes-Benz buys Chrysler for $40 billion USD and forms DaimlerChrysler in the largest industrial merger in history.
1999 Pope John Paul II travels to Romania becoming the first pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox country since the Great Schism in 1054.
2000 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (died), American captain, actor, and producer (born 1909)
2000 Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president of Russia.
2002 Seattle Slew (died), American race horse (born 1974)
2004 American businessman Nick Berg is beheaded by Islamic militants. The act is recorded on videotape and released on the Internet.
2007 Israeli archaeologists discover the tomb of Herod the Great south of Jerusalem.
EO Smith
Latest posts by EO Smith (see all)
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