EVENTS
- 1908 – Ford first introduces the groundbreaking Model T car.
- 1938 – Hitler’s troops occupied the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia. In an effort to avoid war, the leaders of Britain and France had agreed to cede the German-speaking area to Hitler, who later broke the agreement and occupied all of Czechoslovakia.
- 1946 – Twelve Nazi leaders were sentenced to death at the International War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany.
- 1949 – Mao Zedong declares The People’s Republic of China
- 1957 – Thalidomide launched. Thalidomide, an anti-nausea drug and sleep-aid, was launched. For about five years it was commonly prescribed to pregnant women as a drug to deal with morning sickness. It was finally withdrawn from the market after it was determined that it caused birth defects.
- 1961 – Formation of Federal Republic of Cameroon. British Cameroon or Southern Cameroon joined the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
- 1961 – Roger Maris hits his 61st home run in a season. This record will stand for some time.
- 1962 – Johnny Carson becomes the host of ‘The Tonight Show’. He would host for 30 years.
- 1971 – Walt Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida,
- 1991 – Siege of Dubrovnik. The Siege of Dubrovnik began during the Croatian War of Independence. On this day, the Yugoslav People’s Army started its offensive on Dubrovnik.
- 1977 – Brazilian soccer star Pele retires.
- 1979 – After 70 years of American control, the Panama Canal Zone was formally handed over to Panama.
- 1982 – EPCOT Center opens at Walt Disney World
BIRTHDAYS
- 1207 – Henry III (King of England)
- 1896 – Liaquat Ali Khan (Indian/Pakistani lawyer, politician, Prime Minister of Pakistan)
- 1903 – Vladimir Horowitz (Pianist)
- 1910 – Bonnie Parker (American criminal
- 1920 – Walter Mattheau (Actor)
- 1924 – William Rehnquist (American lawyer, jurist, 16th Chief Justice of the United States)
- 1924 – Jimmy Carter (39th US President)
- 1935 – Julie Andrews (Singer Actress – Sound of Music)
- 1950 – Randy Quaid (Actor)
- 1963 – Mark McGwire (Baseball Player)
DEATHS
- 1972 – Louis Leakey (Kenyan/English archeologist)
- 1990 – Curtis LeMay (American general)
- 2004 – Richard Avedon (American photographer)
- 2012 – Eric Hobsbawm (Egyptian/English historian, author)
- 2013 – Tom Clancy (American author)