EVENTS
- 1215 – King John set his seal to Magna Carta, the first charter of British liberties, guaranteeing basic rights that have since become the foundation of modern democracies around the world.
Magna Carta - 1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered. Jean-Baptiste Denys, physician to King Louis XIV of France, transfused sheep blood into a 15-year-old boy. He survived, most likely due to the relatively small amount of blood used.
- 1752 – Benjamin Franklin shows that lightning is electricity.
- 1775 – George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
- 1844 – Charles Goodyear patents vulcanization. The American inventor is credited with developing the basic concept of strengthening rubber by adding sulfur or similar materials. Vulcanized rubber is today used for a wide array of products, such as tires and shoe soles.
- 1911 – IBM is incorporated.
- 1924 – Native Americans are proclaimed United States citizens.
- 1934 – The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is founded.
- 1954 – The Union of European Football Associations is founded. The UEFA is the umbrella organization for association football in Europe. It comprises 54 member countries in Europe and Asia.
- 1977 – Spain holds the first free elections since 1936. The transition to democracy followed nearly four decades of right-wing dictatorship under Francisco Franco. Adolfo Suárez became Spain’s first democratically elected Prime Minister.
- 1991 – Mount Pinatubo explodes. The stratovolcano’s eruption was one of the most violent of the 20th century. About 800 people died, but the event had also global consequences. For example, it caused a global temperature drop of 0.5 °C (0.9 °F).
BIRTHDAYS
- 1843 – Pianist and composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was born in Bergen, Norway (He incorporated the rhythms and melodies of Norwegian folk music into his songs and instrumentals including Piano Concerto in A Minor, Peer Gynt Suite, Norwegian Peasant Dance, and Ich liebe Dich.
- 1958 – Wade Boggs (Baseball player)
- 1941 – Harry Nilsson (American singer-songwriter, musician)
- 1941 – Neal Adams (American artist)
- 1963 – Helen Hunt (Actress)
Helen Hunt - 1964 – Michael Laudrup (Danish footballer)
- 1964 – Coutney Cox (Actress)
- 1969 – Oliver Kahn (German footballer)
- 1969 – Ice Cube (Rapper)
- 1973 – Neil Patrick Harris (Actor)
- 1984 – Tim Lincecum (Baseball pitcher)
- 1992 – Mohamed Salah (Egyptian Football Player)
DEATHS
- 1849 – James K. Polk (American politician, 11th President of the United States)
- 1888 – Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III - 1941 – Evelyn Underhill (English poet)
- 1993 – James Hunt (English Grand Prix driver, 1976 World Drivers’ Champion)
- 1996 – Ella Fitzgerald (American singer)
