EVENTS
- 753 BC – Rome is founded (traditional date).
- 1509 – Henry VIII is crowned King of England. In popular culture, the monarch is known mainly for his six marriages, two of which ended with the wife’s execution.
- 1836 – The Battle of San Jacinto, part of the Texas Revolution, between Texans led by Sam Houston and Mexican forces led by Santa Anna took place near present-day Houston. The Texans decisively defeated the Mexican forces thereby achieving independence.
Battle of San Jacinto - 1918 – During World War I, the Red Baron (Manfred von Richtofen) was shot down and killed during the Battle of the Somme. He was credited with 80 kills in less than two years, flying a red Fokker triplane. British pilots recovered his body and buried him with full military honors.
- 1934 – The Surgeon’s photo, allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail. In reality, the famous image depicts a toy submarine with a head and neck made of wood putty.
- 1956 – “Heartbreak Hotel” becomes Elvis’ first song to reach #1″.
- 1967 – Dictator Georgios Papadopoulos assumes power in Greece. During his six-year reign, thousands of political opponents were incarcerated and tortured.
- 1986 – Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone’s vault on live television and finds nothing.
- 1992 – The first exoplanets are discovered. Polish astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan announced that he found two planets orbiting the pulsar PSR 1257+12.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1729 – Catherine the Great (Empress of Russia)
Catherine the Great - 1816 – Charlotte Bronte (Author of Jane Eyre)
- 1838 – John Muir (Scottish/American environmentalist, author)
- 1864 – Max Weber (German economist, sociologist)
- 1926 – Eilizabeth Windsor II (Queen of England)
- 1947 – Iggy Pop (American singer-songwriter, producer, actor)
- 1951 – Tony Danza (Actor)
- 1958 – Andie McDowell (Actress)
- 1959 – Robert Smith (Singer from The Cure)
- 1980 – Tony Romo (NFL Quarterback/ Broadcaster)
DEATHS
- 1736 – Prince Eugene of Savoy
- 1910 – Mark Twain (American author)
- 1946 – John Maynard Keynes (English economist)
John Maynard Keynes - 2003 – Nina Simone (American singer-songwriter, pianist)
- 2016 – Prince (American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor)
