Today in History in 1541 Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi River; in 1933 Mohandas Gandhi began a 21-day fast in protest against British oppression in India; and in 2014 Roger L. Easton, American scientist, inventor and designer of GPS, died at 93.
Our on this day in history archives contain over 200,000 events, birthdays and deaths from 6,000 years of history. Here is a roundup of a few of them:
Historical Events
1521 - Parliament of Worms installs edict against Martin Luther
1541 - Hernando de Soto discovers Mississippi River
1660 - English parliament declares Charles Stuart to be King Charles II of England
1858 - John Brown holds antislavery convention
1899 - Ernest Rutherford publishes his discovery of two different kinds of radiation (Alpha and Beta Particles)
1907 - Tommy Burns beats Jack O'Brien in 20 for heavyweight boxing title
1933 - Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast in protest against British oppression in India.
1958 - US President Eisenhower orders National Guard out of Central HS, Little Rock, Arkansas
1967 - Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in US Army
Famous Birthdays
1737 - Edward Gibbon, Putney, English historian (The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire)
1753 - Phillis Wheatley, American poet who was both the second published African-American poet and first published African-American woman.
1884 - Harry Truman, Lamar Missouri, 33rd US President (D) (1945-1953), (d. 1972)
1911 - Robert Johnson, blues singer (King of Delta Blues Singer)
1926 - David Attenborough, Naturalist, TV producer and host (BBC "Life" Series), born in London, England
1932 - Sonny Liston, Sand Slough Arkansas, American heavyweight boxer
1940 - Peter Benchley, novelist (Jaws, The Deep), born in NYC, New York (d. 2006)
1940 - Ricky Nelson, NJ, rock star (Hello Mary Lou, It's Late, Garden Party)
1964 - Melissa Gilbert, actress (Little House on the Prairie), born in Los Angeles, California
1975 - Enrique Iglesias, Spanish singer-songwriter and King of Latin Pop (Bailamos, Hero), born in Madrid, Spain
Famous Weddings
1783 - First American flag seamstress Betsy Ross (31) weds John Claypoole at Christ Church
1910 - Film producer Samuel Goldwyn (27) weds first wife Blanche Lasky
1959 - Actress Raquel Welch (18) weds high school sweetheart James Welch
1967 - "Bye Bye Birdie" actress Ann-Margret (26) weds actor and screenwriter Roger Smith (34)
1978 - Singer Donny Osmond (20) weds Debra Glenn (19) at Salt Lake Temple in Utah
1981 - Author John Grisham (26) weds Renee Jones
1999 - "ER" actor Goran Visnjic (34) weds Croatian artist Ivana Vrdoljak
2009 - Westlife singer Kian Egan (29) weds actress Jodi Albert (25) in Barbados
Famous Deaths
1819 - Kamehameha I, King of Hawaii (1782-1819)
1967 - Elmer Rice, NY playwright/director/novelist, dies at 74
1973 - Ralph Miller, last 19th century baseball player (Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Baltimore Orioles), dies aged 100
2008 - Eddy Arnold, Country music star (b. 1918)
2009 - Dom DiMaggio, American baseball player (b. 1917)
2012 - Maurice Sendak, American author/illustrator, dies at 83
2013 - Brian Forbes, English director and actor, dies at 86
2013 - Jeanne Cooper, American actress, dies at 84
2014 - Roger L. Easton, American scientist, inventor and designer of GPS, dies at 93
Your #1 Local Source for News, Sports, Opinion, Obituaries, Religion, Classifieds, Events, Photos, Community, Coupons, and more!
Serving Lincoln, Catawba, Gaston and Cleveland counties including the areas of Lincolnton, Denver, Maiden, Stanley, Alexis, Vale, Crouse, Iron Station, High Shoals and Cherryville.
Not a newspaper, not a magazine, we’re online – on your computer at home or work, on your smartphone… with news and more 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year including holidays.
To Make Sure You Always Get The Latest Updates, If You Haven’t Already:
