Events

• 402 - Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia.
• 1320 - The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
• 1327 - The poet Petrarch first sees his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon.
• 1385 - John, Master of the Order of Aviz, is made king John I of Portugal.
• 1652 - Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp at the Cape of Good Hope, which eventually becomes Cape Town.
• 1667 - An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state.
• 1782 - Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état.
• 1793 - During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins.
• 1808 - John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company.
• 1814 - Napoleon abdicates and is then exiled to Elba.
• 1830 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. and others at Fayette, New York.
• 1832 - Indian Wars: The Black Hawk War begins - the Sauk warrior Black Hawk enters into war with the United States.
• 1860 - Joseph Smith III, creates the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by reorganizing the previous church organized by his father, Joseph Smith, Jr.
• 1862 - American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins - in Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.
• 1865 - American Civil War: The Battle of Sayler's Creek - Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fights its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia.
• 1866 - The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.
• 1869 - Celluloid is patented.
• 1893 - Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is dedicated by Wilford Woodruff.
• 1895 - Oscar Wilde is arrested (in the Cadogan Hotel, London) after losing a libel case against the John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry.
• 1896 - In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games 1,500 years after the original games were banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I.
• 1903 - The Kishinev pogrom in Kishinev (Bessarabia) begins, forcing tens of thousands of Jews to later seek refuge in Israel and the Western world.
• 1909 - Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole.
• 1911 - Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, Leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after Gjergj Kastrioti (Skenderbeg).
• 1917 - World War I: The United States declares war on Germany (see President Woodrow Wilson's address to Congress).
• 1919 - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi orders a General Strike.
• 1923 - The first Prefects Board in Southeast Asia is formed in Victoria Institution, Malaysia.
• 1926 - Walter Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines).
• 1930 - Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha.
• 1936 - Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.
• 1941 - World War II: Operation Castigo begins. Germany invades the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Greece.
• 1947 - The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievements.
• 1957 - Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.
• 1965 - Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
• 1968 - In Richmond, Indiana's downtown district, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150.
• 1970 - Newhall Incident: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed.
• 1972 - Vietnam War: Easter Offensive - American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.
• 1973 - Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
• 1973 - The American League of Major League Baseball begin using the Designated Hitter
• 1984 - Members of Cameroon's Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
• 1992 - A general strike is declared by communist groups in Nepal.
• 1994 - The Rwandan Genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down.
• 1998 - Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India.
• 2004 - Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from the post by impeachment.
• 2005 - Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes the Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.
• 2006 - NZSL (New Zealand sign language) is made an official language of New Zealand

Births

• 1483 - Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
• 1613 - Stjepan Gradi?, Croatian philosopher and scientist (d. 1683)
• 1632 - Maria Leopoldine of Austria, Holy Roman Empire Empress (d. 1649)
• 1651 - André Dacier, French classical scholar (d. 1722)
• 1664 - Arvid Horn, Swedish statesman (d. 1742)
• 1671 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet (d. 1741)
• 1725 - Pasquale Paoli, Corsican patriot and military leader (d. 1807)
• 1773 - James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (d. 1836)
• 1812 - Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (d. 1870)
• 1815 - Robert Volkmann, German composer (d. 1883)
• 1818 - Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian poet (d. 1870)
• 1820 - Nadar, French photographer (d. 1910)
• 1823 - Joseph Medill, journalist and mayor of Chicago (d. 1899)
• 1826 - Gustave Moreau, French painter (d. 1898)
• 1841 - Karl Binding, German jurist (d. 1920)
• 1849 - John William Waterhouse, British painter (d. 1917)
• 1851 - Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer (d. 1932)
• 1878 - Erich Mühsam, German author (d. 1934)
• 1884 - Walter Huston, Canadian-born actor (d. 1950)
• 1886 - Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad state (d. 1967)
• 1890 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch designer of aircraft (d. 1939)
• 1892 - Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American industrialist (d. 1981)
• 1892 - Lowell Thomas, American travel writer (d. 1981)
• 1894 - Gertrude Baines, American Supercentarian
• 1901 - Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian Catholic (d. 1925)
• 1902 - Veniamin Kaverin, Russian writer (d. 1989)
• 1903 - Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player (d. 1962)
• 1903 - Harold Edgerton, American electrical engineer (d. 1990)
• 1909 - Hermann Lang, German race car driver (d. 1987)
• 1909 - William M. Branham, American evangelist (d. 1965)
• 1911 - Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1979)
• 1918 - Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president (d. 1982)
• 1920 - Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist, Nobel laureate
• 1926 - Sergio Franchi, Italian-born singer and actor (d. 1990)
• 1926 - Gil Kane, Latvian-born cartoonist (d. 2000)
• 1926 - Ian Paisley, Northern Irish politician
• 1927 - Gerry Mulligan, American musician (d. 1996)
• 1928 - James D. Watson, American geneticist, Nobel laureate
• 1929 - Joi Lansing, American model and actress (d. 1972)
• 1929 - André Previn, German-born composer and conductor
• 1931 - Ivan Dixon, American actor and director (d. 2008)
• 1933 - Roy Goode, British lawyer
• 1933 - Eduardo Malapit, American Democratic politician (d. 2007)
• 1934 - Anton Geesink, Dutch judoka
• 1937 - Merle Haggard, American musician
• 1937 - Billy Dee Williams, American actor
• 1938 - Paul Daniels, English magician
• 1938 - Roy Thinnes, American actor
• 1939 - André Ouellet, French Canadian politician
• 1940 - Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Mexican actor
• 1941 - Phil Austin, American comedian
• 1941 - Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, American drag racer
• 1941 - Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian musician
• 1942 - Barry Levinson, American film producer/director
• 1944 - Felicity Palmer, English soprano
• 1945 - Neal Boortz, American talk radio personality
• 1947 - John Ratzenberger, American actor
• 1948 - Patrika Darbo, American actress
• 1949 - Horst Ludwig Störmer, German-born physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1951 - Bert Blyleven, Dutch-born baseball player
• 1952 - Udo Dirkschneider, German singer
• 1952 - Marilu Henner, American actress
• 1952 - Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1992)
• 1953 - Christopher Franke, German musician and composer
• 1955 - Keith Hunter Jesperson, Canadian-born serial killer
• 1955 - Michael Rooker, American actor
• 1956 - Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and administrator
• 1957 - Paolo Nespoli, Italian astronaut
• 1961 - Rory Bremner, English comedian and impressionist
• 1964 - Phil Gayle, English news presenter
• 1965 - Frank Black, American singer/songwriter
• 1965 - Lieve Slegers, Belgian athlete
• 1966 - Young Man Kang, South Korean film director
• 1967 - Mika Koivuniemi, Finnish ten-pin bowler
• 1967 - Jonathan Firth, British actor
• 1968 - Vanessa Lann, American composer
• 1968 - Affonso Giaffone, Brazilian racing driver
• 1969 - Jack Canfora, American playwright
• 1969 - Bison Dele, American basketball player (disappeared 2002)
• 1969 - Ari Meyers, Puerto Rican-born American actress
• 1969 - Philipp Peter, Austrian racing driver
• 1969 - Paul Rudd, American actor
• 1969 - Bret Boone, Baseball Player
• 1970 - Olaf Kölzig, South African-born ice hockey player
• 1970 - Huang Xiaomin, Chinese swimmer
• 1971 - Lou Merloni, American baseball player
• 1972 - Jason Hervey, American actor
• 1972 - Jo Van Daele, Belgian discus thrower
• 1973 - Donnie Edwards, American football player
• 1973 - Rie Miyazawa, Japanese actress/singer
• 1973 - Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
• 1973 - Gina Yashere, English comedian
• 1974 - Robert Kova?, Croatian footballer
• 1975 - Zach Braff, American actor
• 1975 - Hal Gill, Ice Hockey player
• 1976 - Candace Cameron, American actress
• 1976 - Georg Hólm, Icelandic musician
• 1977 - Andy Phillips, American Baseball Player
• 1978 - Tim Hasselbeck, American football player
• 1978 - Myleene Klass, British singer
• 1978 - Martin Mendez, Uruguayan-born Bassist (Opeth)
• 1978 - Blaine Neal, American baseball player
• 1981 - Robert Earnshaw, Zambian born, Welsh international footballer
• 1982 - Ilan Hall, Israeli-American chef
• 1982 - Bret Harrison, American actor
• 1982 - Michael Guy Chislett, Australian born, American guitarist of The Academy Is...
• 1983 - Diora Baird, American actress
• 1983 - Jade Seah, Singaporean model, host and actress
• 1983 - James Wade, English Darts Player
• 1984 - Max Bemis, American musician/songwriter
• 1985 - Garrett Zablocki, American musician
• 1985 - Clarke MacArthur, Canadian-born ice hockey player
• 1987 - Levi Porter, English footballer
• 1988 - Mike Bailey, English actor
• 1988 - Fabrice Muamba, Anglo-Congolese footballer
• 2007 - Princess Haalah bint Hashim, Princess of Jordan

Deaths

• 885 - Saint Methodius (b. ca.815)
• 1147 - Frederick II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1090)
• 1199 - King Richard I of England (b. 1157)
• 1199 - Pierre Basile, French soldier
• 1362 - James I, Count of La Marche, French soldier (b. 1319)
• 1490 - King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
• 1520 - Raphael, Italian painter and architect (b. 1483)
• 1528 - Albrecht Dürer, German artist (b. 1471)
• 1551 - Joachim Vadian, Swiss humanist (b. 1484)
• 1571 - John Hamilton, Scottish prelate and politician
• 1590 - Francis Walsingham, English spymaster
• 1605 - John Stow, English historian
• 1655 - David Blondel, French Protestant clergyman (b. 1591)
• 1686 - Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, English royalist statesman (b. 1614)
• 1707 - Willem van de Velde, the younger, Dutch painter (b. 1633)
• 1755 - Richard Rawlinson, English minister and antiquarian (b. 1690)
• 1825 - Vladimir Borovikovsky, Russian painter (b. 1757)
• 1829 - Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician (b. 1802)
• 1833 - Adamantios Korais, Greek humanist scholar (b. 1748)
• 1838 - José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva, Brazilian statesman and geologist (b. 1763)
• 1862 - Albert Sidney Johnston, American Confederate general (b. 1803)
• 1883 - Benjamin Wright Raymond, American politician (b. 1801)
• 1906 - Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author (b. 1849)
• 1933 - Elizabeth Bacon Custer, wife of George Armstrong Custer (b. 1842)
• 1935 - Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet (b. 1869)
• 1947 - Herbert Backe, German Nazi politician (b. 1896)
• 1953 - Idris Davies, Welsh poet (b. 1905)
• 1961 - Jules Bordet, Belgian immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1870)
• 1963 - Otto Struve, Russian-born astronomer (b. 1897)
• 1970 - Sam Sheppard, American accused murderer (b. 1923)
• 1970 - Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (b. 1933)
• 1971 - Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer (b. 1882)
• 1974 - Willem Marinus Dudok, Dutch architect (b. 1884)
• 1974 - Hudson Fysh, Australian aviator and businessman (b.1895)
• 1976 - Sidney Franklin, American bullfighter (b. 1903)
• 1992 - Isaac Asimov, Russian-born author (b. 1920)
• 1994 - Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan politician (b. 1937)
• 1994 - Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician (b. 1956)
• 1996 - Greer Garson, Irish actress (b. 1904)
• 1998 - Wendy O. Williams, American singer (Plasmatics) (b. 1949)
• 1998 - Tammy Wynette, American singer (b. 1942)
• 1999 - Red Norvo, American jazz vibraphonist (b. 1908)
• 2000 - Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician (b. 1903)
• 2001 - Charles Pettigrew, American singer (b. 1963)
• 2003 - David Bloom, American reporter (b. 1963)
• 2003 - Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drummer (b. 1927)
• 2003 - Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter, Canadian religious figure (b. 1912)
• 2004 - Larisa Bogoraz, Soviet dissident (b. 1929)
• 2004 - Niki Sullivan, American guitarist (The Crickets) (b. 1937)
• 2005 - Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (b. 1923)
• 2006 - Maggie Dixon, American college basketball coach (b. 1977)
• 2006 - Francis L. Kellogg, U.S. diplomat and prominent socialite (b. 1917)
• 2007 - Luigi Comencini, Italian film director (b. 1916)

Holidays and observances

• Tartan Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, a day set aside for the celebration of Scottish influence
• The date of organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph Smith, Jr.. Also the date on which many in The Church believe that Jesus was resurrected.
• Chakri Day in Thailand, commemorating the reign of the Chakri Dynasty.

in the Roman Catholic Church

• Saint Marcellinus of Carthage (d. 413)
• St. Sixtus
• Blessed Notker
• Cheti Chand, birthday of the Sindhi, God of Water
• Feast day of Saint Brychan, King of Brycheiniog, South Wales

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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