Today in History
Significant Events
- 533 Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, under King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron
- 1256 Hulagu Khan captures and destroys Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut, in present-day Iran, part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia
- 1488 Bartolomeu Dias returns to Portugal after becoming 1st known European to sail round the Cape of Good Hope
- 1612 German Astronomer Simon Marius is 1st to observe Andromeda galaxy through a telescope
- 1791 US Bill of Rights ratified when Virginia gives its approval, becomes amendments 1-10 of the US constitution
- 1840 Napoleon Bonaparte receives a French state funeral in Paris 19 years after his death
- 1973 American Psychiatric Association declares homosexuality is not a mental illness
Today in Film & TV
- 1939 "Gone With the Wind", drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, premieres in Atlanta (Best Picture 1940, inflation not adjusted highest-grossing film of all time)
Today in Music
- 1955 "Folsom Prison Blues" single released by Johnny Cash (Billboard Song of the Year 1968)
Today in Sport
- 1992 Arthur Ashe is named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
Nero
Gustave Eiffel
Chico Mendes
Catherine of Aragon
Ludwig van Beethoven
Jane AustenWould You Believe?
Soviet Venera 7 is 1st spacecraft to land on another planet (Venus)
On this day in 1970
Famous Weddings
- 1875 Sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (41) weds Jeanne-Emilie Baheux Puysieux in Newport, Rhode Island
- 1933 Actor Gary Cooper (32) weds actress Veronica Balfe (20) in Park Avenue, New York City
- 1944 Country music star Hank Williams (21) weds Audrey Sheppard. It was her second marriage and his first.
- 1960 King Boudouin of Belgium marries dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragon
- 1983 Author Roald Dahl (67) weds Liccy Crosland (45) at Brixton Town Hall in South London
Famous Divorces
- 1942 Actress Mary Astor (36) divorces film editor Manuel del Campo (29) after more than 4 years of marriage
- 2008 Pop singer Madonna (50) divorces film director Guy Ritchie (40) due to unreasonable behavior after almost 8 years of marriage
- 2010 Nip/Tuck actor Dylan Walsh (47) divorces actress Joana Going (47) due to irreconcilable differences after 6 years of marriage
Afonso de Albuquerque
Sitting Bull
Walt Disney
Wilhelm Grimm
Colonel SandersThis Month in History
Great 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, 1957
Heartbreak 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
The Tower that Twice Defied Hitler
The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of France and twice managed to upstage Adolf Hitler. The man who built it, Gustave Eiffel was born on this day.
December 15, 1832
Melodrama at Theatre Leaves Actor Dead
One of England’s most popular actors arrived at the stage door on this day to prepare for another performance. He would never make it to the stage.
December 16, 1897
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