What Happened Today in History
Historical Events
- 1240 Mongols led by Batu Khan occupy and destroy Kyiv after an 8 day siege; out of 50,000 people in the city only 2,000 survive
- 1865 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution is ratified, abolishing slavery (except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,) [1]
- 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty signed; Ireland receives dominion status; partition creates Northern Ireland
- 1998 Hugo Chávez is elected President of Venezuela
- 2006 NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars
- Historical Events Today
Today in Film & TV
- 2002 "Adaptation" directed by Spike Jonze, starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep premieres
Today in Music
- 1969 300,000 attend Altamont free concert in California, featuring The Rolling Stones. Marred by violence and four deaths.
Today in Sport
- 1992 San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice catches NFL record 101st touchdown in a 27-3 win over Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park
Did You Know?
Aluminum capstone set atop Washington Monument, Washington, D.C., making it the tallest human-built structure in the world (overtaking Cologne Cathedral)
Today in History in 1884
Famous Birthdays
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
1805 - 1871
Joyce Kilmer
1886 - 1918
Dion Fortune
1890 - 1946
Ira Gershwin
1896 - 1983
Agnes Moorehead
1900 - 1974
Andrew Cuomo
65th Birthday
Celebrity Birthdays
Otto Graham
1921 - 2003
Satoru Iwata
1959 - 2015
Sarah Rafferty
50th Birthday
Giannis Antetokounmpo
28th Birthday
A Boogie wit da Hoodie
27th Birthday
Stefanie Scott
26th Birthday
Would You Believe?
Thomas Edison records himself reciting "Mary had a little lamb"
Today in History in 1877
Famous Weddings
- 1491 King Charles VIII of France (21) marries Anna Duchess of Brittany (14) giving France control over Brittany
- 1630 Painter Peter Paul Rubens (53) marries his second wife Helena (16) Fourment and the inspiration for his voluptuous female figures, in Antwerp
- 1930 Pablo Neruda marries Marie A Hagenaar Vogelzang in Batavia
Famous Divorces
- 1938 Actress Bette Davis (30) divorces musician Harmon Nelson (31) due to cruel and inhuman manner after more than 6 years of marriage
- 1982 US Senator Ted & Joan Kennedy divorce
- 1988 Actor and comedian Robin Williams (37) divorces Valerie Velardi after 10 years of marriage
Saint Nicholas
Jefferson Davis
Werner von Siemens
Honus Wagner
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Pete RozelleThis Month in History
Mozart, the Incomparable Musical Genius
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical genius who composed over 600 works in his short lifetime, died mysteriously on this day and was buried unceremoniously.December 5, 1791
St Nicholas – The Man Behind Santa Claus
Saint Nicholas died on this day but happily the tradition associated with him of giving gifts to others, especially children, has survived the centuries.December 6, 343 AD
'Infamy' as Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
Japan launched its shock attack against the American Navy base at Pearl Harbor on this day – a date to “live in infamy,” according to the US President.December 7, 1941
Real-life Tragedy for Theatrical Family
On this day a tragedy engulfed one of Britain’s noted theatrical families of the early 20th century.December 8, 1926
Greatest Generation
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