Major Events
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79 AD – Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic ash and killing thousands.
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410 – Rome is sacked by the Visigoths under King Alaric I, the first time in 800 years the city fell to a foreign enemy.
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1456 – The printing of the Gutenberg Bible is completed in Mainz, Germany, marking the beginning of the mass production of books in the West.
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1814 – British forces burn Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812, including the White House and Capitol.
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1891 – Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera (Kinetograph).
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1932 – Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly nonstop across the U.S.
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1991 – Ukraine declares independence from the Soviet Union following the failed coup in Moscow.
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2006 – The International Astronomical Union redefines the term “planet,” reclassifying Pluto as a “dwarf planet.”
Famous Birthdays
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William Wilberforce (1759–1833) – English politician and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
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Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) – Argentine writer and literary icon.
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Carlo Gambino (1902–1976) – Italian-American mobster and crime family boss.
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Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) – Palestinian political leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
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Mason Williams (1938) – American guitarist and composer.
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Steve Guttenberg (1958) – American actor known for Police Academy.
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Marlee Matlin (1965) – American actress, first deaf performer to win an Academy Award.
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Rupert Grint (1988) – English actor known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series.
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Chad Michael Murray (1981) – American actor and former fashion model.
Notable Deaths
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Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) – Roman author and naturalist who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
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Thomas Tallis (1505–1585) – English composer of sacred music.
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Bayard Rustin (1912–1987) – American civil rights activist and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.
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R. Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) – American architect, systems theorist, and futurist.
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Richard Attenborough (1923–2014) – English actor, director, and producer.
Holidays
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Ukraine – Independence Day, celebrating its declaration from the Soviet Union in 1991.
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Roman Catholic Church – Feast Day of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.
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Liberia – Flag Day, commemorating the adoption of the national flag.
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United States (fun) – National Waffle Day, recognizing the U.S. patent for the waffle iron in 1869.
Fun Facts
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The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD preserved entire cities under ash, giving us a detailed look at Roman life.
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Rome’s fall to the Visigoths in 410 symbolized the beginning of the end of the Western Roman Empire.
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The Gutenberg Bible, printed in 1456, revolutionized knowledge sharing and literacy in Europe.
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Pluto’s reclassification in 2006 caused widespread debate among astronomers and the public.
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Ukraine’s Independence Day has become a symbol of national pride, especially in recent years.