EVENTS
- 1513 – Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida becoming the first known European to do so.
- 1792 – Congress established the first U.S. Mint at Philadelphia.
- 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven’s First Symphony is premiered. The German composer conducted the orchestra himself. The premiere received exceptionally positive reviews.
- 1863 – A bread riot occurred in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, as angry people demanded bread from a bakery wagon then wrecked nearby shops. The mob dispersed only after Confederate President Jefferson Davis made a personal plea and threatened to use force.
President Jefferson Davis - 1865 – General Robert E. Lee informed Confederate President Jefferson Davis that he must evacuate the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. Davis and his cabinet then fled by train.
- 1902 – The first movie theater opens in the US.
- 1968 – Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” receives its world premiere. Upon release, the epic about human evolution, technology, and extraterrestrial life polarized audiences and critics alike. Today, it is considered a classic in its genre.
- 1982 – The beginning of the Falkland Islands War as troops from Argentina invaded and occupied the British colony located near the tip of South America.
- 2002 – Israeli forces besiege the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Israel Defense Force had occupied Bethlehem to capture wanted Palestinians. The 39-day siege ensued after some militants fled into the church, which is believed to stand on the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth.
BIRTHDAYS
- 742 – Charlemagne (King of France and Roman Emperor)
- 1725 – Giacomo Casanova (Italian explorer, author)
- 1805 – Hans Christian Andersen (Author)
- 1840 – French writer Emile Zola (1840-1902) was born in Paris
Emile Zola - 1891 – Max Ernst (German painter, sculptor, poet)
- 1914 – Alec Guinness (Actor)
- 1939 – Marvin Gaye (Singer)
- 1947 – Emmylou Harris (Country Singer)
- 1955 – Dana Carvey (Actor)
DEATHS
- 1872 – Samuel Morse (American painter, inventor, co-invented the Morse code)
- 1933 – Ranjitsinhji (Indian cricketer)
- 1974 – Georges Pompidou (French politician, Prime Minister, President of France)
Georges Pompidou - 2005 – Pope John Paul II
- 2015 – Manoel de Oliveira (Portuguese director, screenwriter)
