Lest we forget...
Events ~
* 390 BC - Roman-Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia - A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, leading to the subsequent sacking of Rome.
* 64 - Great fire of Rome: A fire begins to burn in the merchant area of Rome and soon burns completely out of control while Emperor Nero reportedly plays his lyre and sings while watching the blaze from a safe distance.
* 1195 - Battle of Alarcos, great victory of Almohad ruler Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur over the Castilian King Alfonso VIII.
* 1536 - The authority of the Pope is declared void in England.
* 1830 - Uruguay adopts its first constitution.
* 1857 - Louis Faidherbe, French governor of Senegal, arrives to relieve French forces at Kayes, effectively ending El Hajj Umar Tall's war on the French.
* 1861 - American Civil War: Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford prior to First Battle of Bull Run(1st Battle of Manassas).
* 1863 - American Civil War: Battle of Fort Wagner/Morris Island - The first formal African American military unit, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, unsuccessfully assaults Confederate-held Battery Wagner but their valiant fighting still proves the worth of African American soldiers during the war.
* 1872 - The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland introduces voting by secret ballot.
* 1873 - Oscar II of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Norway in Trondheim.
* 1898 - Marie and Pierre Curie announce the discovery of a new element and proposed to call it polonium.
* 1914 - The U.S. Congress forms the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, this gives definite status to aircraft within the U.S. Army for the first time.
* 1925 - Adolf Hitler publishes his personal manifesto Mein Kampf.
* 1932 - The United States and Canada signed a treaty to develop the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
* 1936 - Spanish Civil War: The rebellion reaches peninsular Spain and conquers Galicia, west Castile, west Andalucia and Aragon.
* 1938 - Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan arrives in Ireland.
* 1940 - Democratic National Convention, Chicago: President Franklin D. Roosevelt is nominated for an unprecedented third term in office.
* 1942 - World War II: The Germans test fly the Messerschmitt Me-262 using only its jets for the first time.
* 1944 - World War II: Hideki Tojo resigns as Prime Minister of Japan due to numerous setbacks in the war effort.
* 1947 - President Harry S. Truman signs the Presidential Succession Act into law which places the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tempore next in the line of succession after the United States Vice President
* 1953 - Rock star Elvis Presley made his first recording in Sun Studios.
* 1965 - Zond 3 launched.
* 1966 - Gemini 10 launched.
* 1968 - Vietnam War: The two-day Honolulu Conference begins in Honolulu, Hawaii between US President Lyndon B. Johnson and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu.
* 1969 - After a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts drives an Oldsmobile off a wooden bridge into a tide-swept pond and his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, dies.
* 1976 - Gymnast Nadia Comaneci, age 14, scores first ever perfect 10 at the Olympics.
* 1977 - Vietnam joins the United Nations.
* 1982 - 268 campesinos ("peasants" or "country people") are slain in the Plan de S?nchez massacre in R?os Montt's Guatemala.
* 1984 - McDonald's massacre in San Ysidro, California: In a fast-food restaurant, James Oliver Huberty opens fire, killing 21 people and injuring 19 others before being shot dead by police.
* 1986 - A tornado is broadcast live on KARE television in Minnesota when the station's helicopter pilot makes a chance encounter.
* 1989 - Rebecca Schaeffer is shot by a crazed fan, prompting California to pass America's first anti-stalking law in 1990.
* 1992 - The ten victims of the La Cantuta massacre disappeared from their university in Lima.
* 1994 - AMIA Bombing: An explosion in Buenos Aires destroys a building housing several Jewish organizations, killing 85 and injuring many more.
* 1995 - On the Caribbean island of Montserrat, the Soufriere Hills volcano erupts. Over the course of several years, it devastates the island, destroying the capital and forcing most of the population to flee.
* 1996 - Storms provoke severe flooding on the Saguenay River in Quebec, beginning one of Canada's costliest natural disasters ever.
* 1996 - In an event very similar to the Oklahoma tornado that would occur three years later, an F5 tornado hit the town of Oakfield, Wisconsin.
* 1997 - 8000 low-caste Indians riot in Mumbai (Bombay) following a funeral for 10 children who had been killed by police.
* 1998 - A 23-foot tidal wave kills nearly 3,000 people in Papua New Guinea.
* 2001 - In Baltimore, Maryland, a 60-car train derails in a tunnel, sparking a fire that lasts days and virtually shuts down downtown Baltimore.
Births ~
* 1013 - Hermannus Contractus, learned monk (d. 1054)
* 1501 - Isabella of Burgundy, wife of Christian II of Denmark (d. 1526)
* 1504 - Heinrich Bullinger, Swiss religious reformer (d. 1575)
* 1552 - Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1612)
* 1634 - Johannes Camphuys, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (d. 1695)
* 1635 - Robert Hooke, English scientist (d. 1703)
* 1670 - Giovanni Bononcini, Italian composer (d. 1747)
* 1718 - Saverio Bettinelli, Italian writer (d. 1808)
* 1720 - Gilbert White, English ornithologist (d. 1793)
* 1797 - Immanuel Hermann Fichte, German philosopher (d. 1879)
* 1811 - William Makepeace Thackeray, English author (d. 1863)
* 1818 - Louis De Geer, 1st Swedish Prime Minister (d. 1896)
* 1821 - Pauline Garcia-Viardot, French mezzo-soprano and composer (d. 1910)
* 1837 - Vasil Levski, Bulgarian revolutionary (d. 1873)
* 1845 - Tristan Corbi?re, French poet (d. 1875)
* 1848 - W. G. Grace, English cricketer (d. 1915)
* 1853 - Hendrik Lorentz, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
* 1862 - Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich, Russian general (d. 1933)
* 1867 - Margaret Brown,The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Titanic survivor (d. 1932)
* 1864 - Phillip Snowden, British politician (d. 1937)
* 1881 - Larry McLean, baseball player (d. 1921)
* 1884 - Alberto di Jorio, former head of the Vatican Bank and secretary of the 1958 conclave (d. 1979)
* 1887 - Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian politician and traitor (d. 1945)
* 1890 - Frank Forde, 15th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1983)
* 1892 - Arthur Friedenreich, Brazilian football player (d. 1969)
* 1894 - Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (d. 1940)
* 1895 - George Machine Gun Kelly, American gangster (d. 1954)
* 1900 - Nathalie Sarraute, French writer (d. 1999)
* 1902 - Jessamyn West, American writer (d. 1984)
* 1902 - Chill Wills, American actor (d. 1978)
* 1906 - S. I. Hayakawa, American semanticist and politician (d. 1992)
* 1906 - Clifford Odets, American writer (d. 1963)
* 1908 - Lupe V?lez, Mexican actress (d. 1944)
* 1909 - Andrei Gromyko, Soviet diplomat and President (d. 1989)
* 1909 - Mohammed Daoud Khan, President of Afghanistan (d. 1978)
* 1911 - Hume Cronyn, Canadian actor (d. 2003)
* 1913 - Red Skelton, American actor and comedian (d. 1997)
* 1914 - Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (d. 2000)
* 1916 - Johnny Hopp, baseball player (d. 2003)
* 1917 - Henri Salvador, French singer
* 1918 - Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
* 1921 - John Glenn, Mercury Seven astronaut and United States Senator from Ohio
* 1922 - Thomas Kuhn, American philosopher (d. 1996)
* 1923 - Jerome H. Lemelson, American inventor (d. 1997)
* 1924 - Inge S?rensen, Danish swimmer
* 1925 - Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete
* 1926 - Robert Sloman, writer (d. 2005)
* 1927 - Kurt Masur, Silesian-born conductor
* 1929 - Dick Button, American figure skater
* 1929 - Screamin' Jay Hawkins, American singer (d. 2000)
* 1930 - Burt Kwouk, English actor
* 1933 - Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet
* 1934 - Darlene Conley, American actress (d. 2007)
* 1935 - Jayendra Saraswathi, Hindu religious leader
* 1937 - Roald Hoffman, Polish-born chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
* 1937 - Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (d. 2005)
* 1938 - Paul Verhoeven, Dutch film director
* 1938 - Ian Stewart, British pianist for the Rolling Stones
* 1939 - Dion DeMucci, American singer
* 1939 - Brian Auger, British musician
* 1940 - James Brolin, American actor
* 1940 - Garden Weasel, Political Forum Contributor
* 1940 - Joe Torre, baseball player and manager
* 1941 - Martha Reeves, American singer
* 1942 - Adolf Ogi, member of the Swiss Federal Council
* 1942 - Giacinto Facchetti, Italian footballer (d. 2006)
* 1946 - Leo Madder, Belgian actor
* 1947 - Steve Forbes, American entrepreneur and politician
* 1947 - Steven W. Mahoney, Canadian politician
* 1948 - Hartmut Michel, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
* 1950 - Sir Richard Branson, British entrepreneur
* 1950 - Jack Layton, Canadian politician
* 1950 - Kostas Eleftherakis, Greek footballer
* 1951 - Elio Di Rupo, Belgian politician
* 1954 - Ricky Skaggs, American country/bluegrass musician
* 1955 - Bernd Fasching, Austrian painter and sculptor
* 1956 - Razor Shines, Major and Minor league baseball player, manager and coach
* 1957 - Nick Faldo, English golfer
* 1960 - Anne-Marie Johnson, American actress
* 1961 - Elizabeth McGovern, American-born actress
* 1962 - Lee Arenberg, American actor
* 1962 - Jack Irons, American drummer (Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers)
* 1963 - Mart?n Torrijos Espino, President of Panama
* 1963 - Mike Greenwell, baseball player
* 1963 - Al Snow, American professional wrestler
* 1967 - Vin Diesel, American actor
* 1969 - Masanori Murakawa, Japanese professional wrestler
* 1971 - Penny Hardaway, American basketball player
* 1974 - Alan Morrison, British poet
* 1975 - Torii Hunter, baseball player
* 1975 - Daron Malakian, American guitarist (System of a Down)
* 1976 - Elsa Pataky, Spanish actress
* 1977 - Dylan Lane, American television host
* 1977 - Alfian bin Sa'at, Singaporean writer, poet and playwright
* 1978 - Ben Sheets, baseball player
* 1978 - Melissa Theuriau, French newscaster
* 1978 - Ver?nica Romeo, Spanish singer
* 1979 - Rick Baxter, American politician
* 1979 - Deion Branch, football player
* 1979 - Joey Mercury, American professional wrestler
* 1980 - Kristen Bell, American actress
* 1982 - Priyanka Chopra, Indian actress and Miss World 2000
* 1982 - Ryan Cabrera, American musician and TV host
* 1983 - Aaron Gillespie, American drummer (Underoath)
* 1985 - Panagiotis Lagos, Greek footballer
* 1998 - Nixzmary Brown, child abuse victim (d. 2006)
Deaths ~
* 1100 - Godfrey of Bouillon, French crusader
* 1488 - Alvise Cadamosto, Italian explorer (b. 1432)
* 1591 - Jacobus Gallus, Slovenian composer (b. 1550)
* 1608 - Joachim Friedrich, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1546)
* 1610 - Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Italian artist (b. 1573)
* 1623 - Pope Gregory XV (b. 1554)
* 1639 - Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar, German general (b. 1604)
* 1665 - Stefan Czarniecki, Polish general (b. 1599)
* 1695 - Johannes Camphuys, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (b. 1634)
* 1698 - Johann Heinrich Heidegger, Swiss theologian (b. 1633)
* 1721 - Antoine Watteau, French painter (b. 1684)
* 1730 - Fran?ois de Neufville, duc de Villeroi, French soldier (b. 1644)
* 1792 - John Paul Jones, American naval commander (b. 1747)
* 1817 - Jane Austen, English novelist (b. 1775)
* 1863 - Robert Gould Shaw, American military officer (b. 1837)
* 1872 - Benito Ju?rez, President of Mexico (b. 1806)
* 1884 - Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist (b. 1829)
* 1892 - Thomas Cook, English travel agent (b. 1808)
* 1899 - Horatio Alger, Jr., American writer (b. 1832)
* 1916 - Benjamin C. Truman, American journalist and author
* 1918 - Grand Duchess Elizabeth Fyodorovna (b. 1864)
* 1937 - Julian Bell, British poet, killed in the Spanish Civil War (b. 1908)
* 1944 - Thomas Sturge Moore, English poet, author and artist (b. 1870)
* 1948 - Herman Gummerus, Finnish historian and politician (b. 1877)
* 1949 - V?tězslav Nov?k, Czech composer (b. 1870)
* 1952 - Paul Saintenoy, Belgian architect (b. 1862)
* 1953 - Lucy Booth, the fifth daughter of William and Catherine Booth (b. 1868)
* 1952 - Paul Saintenoy, Belgian architect (b. 1862)
* 1954 - George Machine Gun Kelly, American gangster (b. 1895)
* 1968 - Corneille Heymans, Belgian physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
* 1969 - Mary Jo Kopechne, American aide to Robert F. Kennedy (b. 1940)
* 1985 - Shahnawaz Bhutto, son of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
* 1988 - Nico, German-born model and singer (b. 1938)
* 1989 - Donnie Moore, baseball player (suicide) (b. 1954)
* 1990 - Yoon Boseon, President of South Korea (b. 1897)
* 1990 - Karl Menninger, American psychiatrist (b. 1896)
* 1995 - Fabio Casartelli, Italian cyclist (b. 1970)
* 1997 - Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American astronomer (b. 1928)
* 2001 - James Hatfield, American author (b. 1958)
* 2001 - Fabio Taglioni, Italian automotive engineer (b. 1920)
* 2002 - Victor Emery, British theoretical physicist (b. 1933)
* 2004 - Paul Foot, British journalist (b. 1937)
* 2005 - William Westmoreland, U.S. Army general (b. 1914)
Holidays and observances ~
* Uruguay - Constitution Day.
Liturgical feasts ~
* Saint Ansuerus and companions, martyrs [Ratzeburg, Schwerin, L?beck, Sleswig]
* Saint Aquilinus, bishop of Evreux, confessor (Translation) [Evreux]
* Saint Arnulph, bishop of Metz, bishop of Soissons), confessor (Translation) [Metz, Toul, Verdun; Paris]
* Saint Arnulph, bishop of Tours, martyr [mainly northern Germany, France and England]
* Saint Blasius, bishop, martyr (sometimes confessor) (Translation) [GTZ]
* Saint Bruno, bishop of Segni, confessor [Tournai]
* Saint Clarus, priest (sometimes bishop), martyr (Translation) [GTZ: Rouen]
* Saint Frederick of Utrecht, bishop of Utrecht, martyr 838 [Utrecht]
* Saint Henry II, emperor, confessor [Augsburg]
* Saint Justin and Stateus, martyrs [Worms]
* Saint Justus, bishop [Bruges]
* Saint Mammas, martyr [Freising]
* Saint Maternus, bishop of Milan [Basel, Chur, Constance, Strassburg]
* Saint Nicholas, bishop, confessor (Ordination) [Amiens]
* Saint Odulph, canon of Utrecht
* Saint Philastrius, bishop of Brescia
* Saint Eadburga, virgin (Translation) [Winchester]
* Saints Euphrosyne and Florentia, virgins [Lund]
* Saint Marina
* Saint Symphorosa and her seven sons, martyrs 138 [common; Trier, France, Orden]
* Saint Theneva, mother of Kentigern
* Blessed Bertha of Maarbeke
