1287     St. Lucia’s flood: The Zuiderzee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses, killing over 50,000 people. 1503     Nostradamus (born), French astrologer (died 1566) 1542     Princess Mary Stuart becomes Mary, Queen of Scots. 1782     The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifts off on its first test flight. 1794     Erastus Corning (born), American businessman and politician (died 1872)… Continue reading →

1577     Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage. 1636 The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the National Guard of the United States. 1642     Abel Tasman reaches New Zealand. 1769     Dartmouth College… Continue reading →

1731     Erasmus Darwin (born), English physician and poet, grandfather of Charles Darwin (died 1802) 1745     John Jay (born), American jusrist and politician, 1st Chief Justice of the United States (died 1829) 1805     Henry Wells (born), American businessman, co-founded Wells Fargo and American Express (died 1878) 1821     Gustave Flaubert (born), French author (died 1880) 1862     USS… Continue reading →

630      Muhammad leads an army of 10,000 to conquer Mecca. 1789    The University of North Carolina is chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly. 1803    Hector Berlioz (born), French composer (died 1869) 1880    Oliver Winchester (died), American businessman and politician (born 1810) 1882    Fiorello La Guardia (born), American politician, 99th Mayor of New York City… Continue reading →

1684     Isaac Newton’s derivation of Kepler’s laws from his theory of gravity, contained in the paper De motu corporum in gyrum, is read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley. 1822     César Franck (born), Belgian composer and organist (died 1890) 1830     Emily Dickinson (born), American poet (died 1886) 1851     Melvil Dewey (born), American librarian, created… Continue reading →