Today in History
Important Events
- 627 Battle at Nineveh: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius beats Sassanid forces during Byzantine-Sassanid War
- 1901 Guglielmo Marconi sends the first transatlantic radio signal, from Poldhu in Cornwall to Newfoundland, Canada
- 1925 Last Qajar Shah of Iran deposed; Rezā Shāh Pahlavi takes over
- 1946 UN accepts 6 Manhattan blocks as a gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr
- 2000 US Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore, settling the recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election in George W. Bush's favor and thus handing him the presidency
- 2015 COP21 climate change summit in Paris reaches a deal between 195 countries to limit the rise in the global average temperature to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels
Today in Film & TV
- 1966 "A Man for All Seasons" based on the play by Robert Bolt, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Paul Scofield premieres in New York (Best Picture 1967)
Today in Music
- 1792 In Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven (22) receives 1st lesson in music composition from Franz Joseph Haydn
Today in Sport
- 1930 Baseball Rules Committee greatly revises the rule book, ball bouncing into stands not a HR, now a double
Did You Know?
Washington, D.C., established as the capital of the United States of America
On this day in 1800
John Jay
Edvard Munch
Frank Sinatra
Henry IV of France
Christopher Plummer
Taylor SwiftWould You Believe?
Willem J Kolff and his team at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic removed the heart from a dog and replaced it with a pneumatic pump which kept the dog alive for 90 minutes, proving the viability of the artificial heart
On this day in 1957
Famous Weddings
- 1957 Jerry Lee Lewis weds his cousin Myra Gale Brown, 13, while still married to his 1st wife Jane Mitcham
- 1991 Actor Richard Gere (42) weds supermodel Cindy Crawford (25) in Las Vegas
- 1998 TV personality Melissa Rivers (30) weds horse breeder John Endicott at The Plaza Hotel in New York City
Famous Divorces
- 2014 Actor and comedian Nick Cannon (37) files for divorce from singer Mariah Carey (48) after 6 years of marriage
Robert Browning
John Thompson
Peter Boyle
Selim II
Samuel Gompers
Grandma MosesThis Month in History
Marconi's Dream: Telegraphy Without Wires
Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi's career received a big boost on this day with backing from the British Post Office.
December 11, 1896A King Salutes Remarkable Woman Soldier
Whether she went to war out of love or duty, Phoebe Hessel, who died on this day, led a remarkable life on and off the battlefield.
December 12, 1821Great Balls of Fire! The 'Bride' is 13
Jerry Lee Lewis leapt to fame declaring there was ‘A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On’. His fans were certainly shaken when told of his 13-year-old ‘bride’.
December 13, 1957Heartbreak and Tragedy for Captain Scott
Beaten to the South Pole by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen on this day, only despair and death awaited British explorer Captain Robert Scott.
December 14, 1911
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