EVENTS
- 1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of France.
- 1848 – The first German National Assembly gathers in Frankfurt. The assembly constituted the first freely elected parliament of Germany. It produced a constitution that provided the basis for today’s constitution of Germany (Grundgesetz).
- 1910 – The Earth passes through the tail of Comet Halley.
- 1927 – 45 people die in the United States’ worst school massacre. In the Bath school disaster, a disgruntled school board member set off several bombs at the Bath Consolidated School and other locations in Michigan.
- 1980 – Mount St. Helens volcano erupts in Washington.
- 1998 – In one of the biggest antitrust lawsuits of the 20th century, American software giant Microsoft Corporation was sued by the U.S. Federal government and 20 state governments charging the company with using unfair tactics to crush competition and restrict choices for consumers. The lawsuits alleged Microsoft used illegal practices to deny personal computer owners the benefits of a free and competitive market and also alleged Microsoft extended its monopoly on operating systems to “develop a chokehold” on the Internet browser software market.
- 2004 – Randy Johnson pitches a perfect game
- 2009 – The Sri Lankan Civil War ends. The 25-year conflict between the government and the separatist Tamil Tigers had claimed up to 100,000 lives. It ended with the Tigers’ defeat.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1048 – Omar Khayyam (Persian poet and scientist)
- 1868 – Nicholas II of Russia
- 1895 – Augusto César Sandino (Nicaraguan rebel leader)
- 1897 – Hollywood director Frank Capra (1897-1991) was born in Palermo, Sicily
- 1912 – Perry Como (American singer, actor)
- 1920 – Pope John Paul II
- 1946 – Reggie Jackson (Baseball Player)
- 1952 – George Strait (Country singer)
- 1970 – Tina Fey (Comedianne and actress on 30 Rock)
- 1983 – Vince Young (Football Player)
DEATHS
- 1799 – Pierre Beaumarchais (French playwright)
- 1909 – Isaac Albéniz (Spanish pianist, composer)
- 1911 – Gustav Mahler (Austrian composer)
- 1955 – Mary McLeod Bethune (American educator, activist)
- 2004 – Elvin Jones (American drummer)