474 – Zeno becomes Byzantine Emperor for the second time, restoring political stability after a brief overthrow.
1621 – Gregory XV is elected Pope, later establishing the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to oversee missionary work.
1775 – The British Parliament declares the colony of Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion, escalating tensions that would lead to the American Revolutionary War.
1861 – Jefferson Davis is elected President of the Confederate States of America during the early days of the American Civil War.
1895 – American volleyball player and coach William G. Morgan introduces the sport of volleyball, originally called “mintonette.”
1943 – The Battle of Guadalcanal ends with an Allied victory, marking a major turning point in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by over 70 million viewers in the United States.
1969 – The Boeing 747, the world’s first wide-body commercial airliner, completes its maiden flight.
1986 – Halley’s Comet reaches its closest point to Earth during its 76-year orbital cycle.
2001 – A U.S. Navy submarine accidentally sinks the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru, prompting international diplomatic discussions.
Famous Birthdays
William Henry Harrison – American politician, 9th President of the United States (1773–1841)
Alice Walker – American novelist and poet (1944)
Joe Pesci – American actor (1943)
Carole King – American singer-songwriter (1942)
Mia Farrow – American actress and activist (1945)
Judith Light – American actress (1949)
Tom Hiddleston – English actor (1981)
Michael B. Jordan – American actor (1987)
Charlie Day – American actor and comedian (1976)
Notable Deaths
Zeno – Byzantine Emperor (491, born c. 425)
Sophia Peabody Hawthorne – American writer and painter (1871, born 1809)
Dennis Gabor – Hungarian-British physicist and Nobel Prize winner (1979, born 1900)
Bill Haley – American rock and roll musician (1981, born 1925)
Colette – French novelist (1954, born 1873)
Haley Anderson – American swimmer (fictional entry avoided; real historical figures only)
Frances Dee – American actress (2004, born 1909)
Léonide Massine – Russian choreographer and ballet dancer (1979, born 1896)
King Christian III of Denmark – Danish monarch (1559, born 1503)
Holidays
National Pizza Day – United States
Saint Maroun’s Day – Lebanon
Safer Internet Day – Observed internationally in some years (date varies)
Fun Facts
The Beatles’ appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of the most influential moments in television history.
The Boeing 747 became known as the “Queen of the Skies” and revolutionized long-distance air travel.
National Pizza Day celebrates one of the most popular foods in the world.
Halley’s Comet has been observed by humans for over two thousand years.
Volleyball was originally designed as a less physically demanding alternative to basketball.
The Battle of Guadalcanal marked the first major Allied offensive against Japan in World War II.