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1997–Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, dies in an early morning car crash in Paris, France, at age 36. Also killed is her millionaire companion, Harrods department store heir, Dodi Fayed. The couple were being chased by aggressive paparazzi on motorcycles at the time of the accident.


12–Roman Emperor, Caligula, is born.

161–Roman Emperor, Commodus, is born Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus in Lanuvium, near Rome, Italy. He ruled from 180 to 192. He also ruled as co-Emperor with his father, Marcus Aurelius, from 177 until his father's death in 180.

1056–After a sudden illness a few days earlier, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, ending the Macedonian Dynasty.

1158–Sancho III of Castile dies.

1218–Al-Kamil becomes Sultan of Egypt, Syriam and northern Mesopotamia, at the death of his father, Al-Adil.

1234–Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan dies.

1314–King Hakon V Magnusson moves the capital of Norway from Bergen to Oslo.

1422–King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France. His son, Henry VI, becomes King at the age of nine months.

1762–Emperor Momozono of Japan dies in Kyoto, Japan, at age 21.

1767–Activist, Henry Joy McCracken, is born in Ireland. He founded the Society of United Irishmen.

1778–Architect, archaeologist, and scholar, William Wilkins, is born in Norwich, England. He is best known for his designs for the National Gallery and University College of London, as well as buildings for several Cambridge colleges.

1795–The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch to keep it out of French hands.

1798–Irish rebels, with French assistance, establish the short-lived Republic of Connacht.

1803–Lewis and Clark begin their expedition to the west by leaving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 11:00 a.m.

1839–Architect, William Wilkins, dies at his home in Lensfield, Cambridge, England, at age 61.

1843–Politician, Georg von Hertling, is born. He was the seventh Chancellor of the German Empire.

1864–During the American Civil War, Union forces, led by General William T. Sherman, launch an assault on Atlanta, Georgia.

1867–Poet, Charles Baudelaire, dies from a stroke in Paris, France, at age 46. He produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe.

1870–Physician and educator, Maria Montessori, is born Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori in Chiaravalle, Marche, Italy. She is best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy. Her educational method is in use today in public and private schools throughout the world.

1871–Politician, James E. Ferguson, is born. He was the 26th Governor of Texas.

1876–Ottoman Sultan, Murad V, is deposed and succeeded by his brother, Abdul Hamid II.

1879–Emperor Taisho of Japan is born.

1880–Wilhelmina of the Netherlands is born Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria at Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial power.

1886–An earthquake kills 100 people in Charleston, South Carolina.

1887–Thomas A. Edison receives a patent for his “kinetoscope,” a device which produces moving pictures.

1888–Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She is the first of Jack the Ripper's confirmed victims.

1895–German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his Navigable Balloon.

1897–Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope, the first movie projector.

1897–Actor, Fredric March, is born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel in Racine, Wisconsin. He appeared in the films Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Design for Living, Death Takes a Holiday, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Les Misérables, Anna Karenina, Mary of Scotand, Anthony Adverse, A Star Is Born, Susan and God, The Best Years of Our Lives, Executive Suite, The Desperate Hours, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Middle of the Night, Inherit the Wind, The Young Doctors, Seven Days in May, and Hombre.

1903–Radio and TV host, Arthur Godfrey, is born.

1907–Count Alexander Izvolsky and Sir Arthur Nicolson sign the St. Petersburg Convention, which results in the Triple Entente alliance.

1907–Politician, Ramon Magsaysay, is born. He was the seventh President of the Philippines.

1908–Author and playwright, William Saroyan, is born.

1913–Police attack a union rally during the Dublin Lock-out, killing two people and injuring hundreds.

1914–Actor, Richard Basehart, is born.

1918–Composer, Alan Jay Lerner, is born in New York, New York. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both the stage and on film. Those works include Royal Wedding, An American in Paris, Brigadoon, Gigi, My Fair Lady, Camelot, Paint Your Wagon, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.

1920–The first radio news program is broadcast by 8MK in Detroit, Michigan.

1924–Comedian, Buddy Hackett, is born Leonard Hacker in Brooklyn, New York. He appeared in the films Walking My Baby Back Home, God’s Little Acre, All Hands on Deck, The Music Man, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Muscle Beach Party, The Love Bug, and Scrooged.

1924–Film director and producer, Herbert Wise, is born.

1928–Die Dreigoschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) premieres in Berlin, Germany.

1928–Actor, James Coburn, is born James Harrison Coburn III in Laurel, Nebraska. He appeared in the films Ride Lonesome, The Magnificent Seven, Hell Is for Heroes, The Great Escape, Charade, The Americanization of Emily, Our Man Flint, In Like Flint, The President’s Analyst, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, The Last of Sheila, Harry in Your Pocket, and Young Guns II.

1930–Pianist, Big Tiny Little, is born.

1935–In an attempt to stay out of the growing turmoil in Europe, the United States passes the first of its Neutrality Acts.

1935–Activist and author, (Leroy) Eldridge Cleaver, is born in Wabbaseka, Arkansas. He became an early leader of the Black Panther Party. After spending seven years in exile in Cuba, Algeria, and France, Cleaver returned to the U.S. in 1975, where he became involved in various religious groups (Unification Church and CARP) before finally becoming a Mormon and joining the LDS Church, as well as becoming a conservative Republican.

1936–Radio Prague, the present-day official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, goes on the air.

1937–Character actor, Warren Berlinger, is born in Brooklyn, New York. One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, he was cast in many TV shows, including The Joey Bishop Show, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, That Girl, Bracken’s World, Love American Style, Charlie’s Angels, Alice, Happy Days, and Laverne & Shirley. He appeared in the films Teenage Rebel, Three Brave Men, Blue Denim, Because They’re Young, Platinum High School, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, All Hands on Deck, Billie, Spinout, Thunder Alley, The Long Goodbye, Lepke, I Will... I Will... For Now, Harry and Walter Go to New York, The Shaggy D.A., The Cannonball Run, The World According to Garp, Hero, and That Thing You Do!

1939–Nazi Germany mounts a staged attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, starting World War II in Europe.

1939–Jerry Allison, drummer for Buddy Holly and the Crickets, is born in Hillsboro, Texas.

1940–Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19 crashes near Lovettsville, Virginia. The CAB investigation of the accident is the first investigation to be conducted under the Bureau of Air Commerce act of 1938.

1945–The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies.

1945–Singer, Van Morrison, is born in Belfast, Ireland.

1945–Violinist and conductor, Itzhak Perlman, is born.

1945–Singer-songwriter and guitarist, Bob Welch, of Fleetwood Mac, is born Robert Lawrence Welch, Jr. in Los Angeles, California. Welch resigned from Fleetwood Mac in December 1974, and was replaced by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. As a solo artist, his biggest hit was Sentimental Lady. His father was movie producer and screenwriter, Robert L. Welch (who worked at Paramount Pictures in the 1940s and 1950s).

1949–The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece in Albania, after its defeat on Gramos mountain, marks the end of the Greek Civil War.

1949–Actor, Richard (Tiffany) Gere, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He appeared in the films Baby Blue Marine, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Bloodbrothers, Days of Heaven, Yanks, America Gigolo, An Officer and a Gentleman, Breathless, The Cotton Club, King David, No Mercy, Power, Miles from Home, Internal Affairs, Pretty Woman, Final Analysis, Mr. Jones, Sommersby, Intersection, First Knight, Primal Fear, Autumn in New York, Chicago, Nights in Rodanthe, and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. His parents (Doris Ann Tiffany and Homer George Gere) were both Mayflower descendants. Gere's ancestors include Pilgrims: Francis Eaton, John Billington, George Soule, Richard Warren, Degory Priest, Francis Cooke and William Brewster. He was married to actress, Cindy Crawford.

1957–The Federation of Malaya (present-day Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

1957–Gina Schock, drummer for The Go-Go's, is born.

1958–Actress, Julie Brown, is born.

1962–Trinidad and Tobago gain independence from Great Britain.

1963–Crown Colony of North Borneo (present-day Sabah) achieves self governance.

1963–The Beatles single, She Loves You, debuts on the British charts. A week later, it will go to #1.

1963–Cubist painter, Georges Braque, dies in Paris, France, at age 81. He was buried in the cemetery of the Church of St. Valery in Varengeville-sur-Mer, Normandy, for which he designed the windows. Braque's work can be found in most major museums throughout the world.

1963–North Borneo (present-day Sabah) achieves self governance.

1963–Reb Beach, of Whitesnake and Night Ranger, is born.

1968–The Doors perform two shows at the Asbury Park Convention Center in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

1968–Fresh Cream by Cream is released. It contains the hit single Sunshine of Your Love.

1969–Bob Dylan appears at the Isle of Wight Festival. It is his first live appearance since recovering from a motorcycle accident.

1969–Boxer, Rocky Marciano, dies in a plane crash near Newton, Iowa, at age 45. He was an undefeated professional boxer and the World Heavyweight Champion from September 23, 1952 to April 27, 1956. Marciano defended his title six times, against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell, and Archie Moore. Marciano had a short, blazing career and at the end of it he retired with a record of 49-0, a record which stands to this day.

1970–Singer, Debbie Gibson, is born.

1970–Queen Rania of Jordan is born.

1971–A security guard is stabbed to death during a concert by The Who in Forest Hills, New York.

1973–Film director, John Ford, dies.

1974–Politician, Norman Kirk, dies. He was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand.

1976–A judge finds George Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” of the melody line of the 1963 Chiffons’ hit, He’s So Fine, in writing his song, My Sweet Lord. The judge says that the chorus to the two songs is identical, and it eventually cost the former Beatle over half a million dollars. Appeals on the case went on for about five years.

1978–Politician, John Wrathall, dies. He was the second President of Rhodesia.

1979–Fan dancer, Sally Rand, dies of congestive heart failure in Glendora, California, at age 75. She was a burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance.

1980–After two weeks of nationwide strikes, the Polish government was forced to sign the Gdansk Agreement, allowing for the creation of the trade union Solidarity.

1986–Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 passengers and 15 people on the ground.

1986–The Soviet passenger liner, Admiral Nakhimov, sinks in the Black Sea, after colliding with the bulk carrier, Pyotr Vasev, killing 423 people.

1987–Thai Airways Flight 365 crashes into the ocean near Ko Phuket, Thailand, killing all 83 people aboard.

1991–Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.

1992–Pascal Lissouba is inaugurated as the President of the Republic of the Congo.

1997–Diana, Princess of Wales, dies in a car crash in Paris, France, at age 36. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul, are also killed. They were being chased by the paparazzi in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel at the time of the accident.

1999–A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 65 people (including two on the ground).

1999–The first in a series of bombings in Moscow, Russia, kills one person and wounds 40 others.

2002–Musician and bandleader, Lionel Hampton, dies in New York, New York, at age 94. Hampton played the vibraphone (vibes) with jazz musicians Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Quincy Jones.

2004–Carl Wayne, of The Move and The Hollies, dies.

2005–A stampede on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 1,199 people.

2006–Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, stolen on August 22, 2004, is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.

2013–Journalist and TV host, David Frost, dies of a heart attack on the MS Queen Elizabeth in the Mediterranean,at age 74. The vessel had left Southampton, England, for a 10-day cruise in the Mediterranean, ending in Rome. Italy. He was known for his television interviews in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

2014–Comic book artist, Stan Goldberg, dies from a stroke in the Bronx, New York, at age 82. He was the creator of “Archie Comics.”

-2016–It is announced that Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be canonized into sainthood after proof of two miracles.

2016–The first commercial flight from the United States to Cuba since 1961, takes place as JetBlue Flight 387 lands in Santa Clara, Villa Clara Province, after a 51-minute flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

2016–Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, meets with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Mexico City, Mexico.

2016–Fossils from the Isua Greenstone Belt, Greenland, are found to be world's oldest, having formed about 3.7 billion years ago.

2016–The Brazilian Senate votes 61-20 in favor of removing Dilma Rousseff from office as President of Brazil. Current acting President, Michel Temer, will serve out the remainder of the Rousseff’s term, that ended on January 1, 2019.

2016–The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) strategist, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, is assassinated.


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