EVENTS
- 1901 – Queen Victoria of England died after reigning for 64 years, the longest reign in British history, during which England had become the most powerful empire in the world.
- 1905 – Bloody Sunday in St. Petersburg, beginning of the 1905 revolution.
- 1943 – World record for fastest temperature change. The fastest temperature change recorded in history occurred on this day in Spearfish, South Dakota. The temperature increased from −4°F (−20°C) to +45°F (+7°C) in the span of two minutes.
- 1943 – During World War II in the Pacific, Japanese resistance ended in New Guinea, resulting in the first land victory of the war for Allied forces.
- 1952 – The first commercial jet plane, the BOAC’s Comet, is put into service.
- 1957 – Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.
- 1963 – The Élysée Treaty formalizes the reconciliation between Germany and France. The treaty effectively ended centuries of enmity between the two European countries.
- 1970 – The Boeing 747 takes off on its first scheduled flight. The Pan Am jumbo jet flew from New York to London.
- 1973 – Abortion became legal in the U.S. as the Supreme Court announced its decision in the case of Roe vs. Wade striking down local state laws restricting abortions in the first six months of pregnancy. In more recent rulings (1989 and 1992) the Court upheld the power of individual states to impose some restrictions.
- 2006 – Eco Morales becomes Bolivia’s first indigenous president. The left-wing politician has focused mainly on combating poverty and curbing the influence of transnational corporations.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1440 – Ivan the Great (Tsar of Russia)
- 1561 – Francis Bacon (Author)
- 1729 – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (German author, philosopher)
- 1788 – Lord Byron (Poet)
- 1906 – Robert E. Howard (American author)
- 1909 – U Thant (Burmese diplomat, 3rd United Nations Secretary General)
- 1949 – Steve Perry (Singer from Journey)
- 1953 – Jim Jarmusch (American director)
- 1960 – Michael Hutchence (Singer from INXS)
- 1965 – Diane Lane (Actress)
- 1968 – Guy Fieri (TV Chef)
DEATHS
- 1900 – David Edward Hughes (Welsh/American scientist, co-invented the microphone)
- 1901 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom
- 1973 – Lyndon B. Johnson (American politician, 36th President of the United States)
- 2008 – Heath Ledger (Australian actor, director)
- 2010 – Skandar of Johor