Today in History
Historical Events
The trial against whistleblower Bradley Manning begins. The American soldier, a trans woman now called Chelsea Manning, was responsible for leaking classified videos documenting U.S. war atrocities during the Iraq War. She was sentenced to 35 years confinement.
101 people die in the Eschede train disaster. Traveling at 200 km/h (120 mph), a high-speed ICE train derailed and crashed into a bridge. The accident was caused by a fatigue crack in one of the train's wheels. It was the deadliest high-speed train disaster in history.
The Israeli ambassador to the U.K. is shot. Shlomo Argov survived the assassination attempt by a Palestinian terrorist group, but he was permanently paralyzed. The event triggered the 1982 Lebanon War.
The world's first supersonic airliner crashes. The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, sometimes referred to as Concordski, disintegrated in mid-air during the 1973 Paris Air Show. 14 people died.
Martin Behaim presents the world's first globe. The German geographer called his terrestrial globe Erdapfel, or Earth Apple. It is kept in a darkened room at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.
Famous Births
Born on this day

Rafael Nadal
1986
Spanish tennis player

Raúl Castro
1931
Cuban politician, 17th Prime Minister of Cuba

Allen Ginsberg
1926
American poet

Jefferson Davis
1808
American colonel, politician, President of the Confederate States of America

Manuel Belgrano
1770
Argentinian economist, lawyer, politician
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Muhammad Ali
2016
American boxer

Anthony Quinn
2001
Mexican/American actor, producer

Ruhollah Khomeini
1989
Iranian religious leader, politician, 1st Supreme Leader of Iran

Franz Kafka
1924
Czech/German writer

Georges Bizet
1875
French composer