Today in History

Today in History

1502 Christopher Columbus leaves Spain on his final trip to New World.

1754 The first newspaper cartoon in America appears.

1813 U.S. troops under William Henry Harrison take Fort Meigs from British and Canadian troops.

1864 Union General John Sedgwick is shot and killed by a Confederate sharpshooter during fighting at Spotsylvania. His last words are: “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist–“

1859 Threatened by the advancing French army, the Austrian army retreats across the River Sesia in Italy.

1915 German and French forces fight the Battle of Artois.

1926 Explorer Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett make the first flight over the North Pole.

1936 Fascist Italy captures the city of Addis Abba, Ethiopia and annexes the country.

1941 The German submarine U-110 is captured at sea along with its Enigma machine by the Royal Navy.

1946 King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy abdicates his throne and is replaced by Umberto.

1962 A laser beam is successfully bounced off the moon for the first time.

1974 The House Judiciary Committee begins formal hearings on Nixon impeachment.

Born

1800 John Brown, abolitionist.

1844 Belle Boyd, Confederate spy.

1860 James Mathew Barrie, writer (Peter Pan, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up).

1873 Howard Carter, British archaeologist.

1882 Henry J. Kaiser, shipbuilder.

1906 Eleanor Estes, children’s author.

1921 Mona van Duyn, American poet laureate.

1934 Alan Bennett, British playwright and screenwriter (The Madness of King George III).

1936 Albert Finney, British actor (Murder on the Orient Express, Tom Jones).

History