Today in History
Historical Events
The Russian space station Mir plunges into the sea. The legendary station was disposed of in a controlled crash after 15 years in space.
Archbishop Óscar Romero calls on members of the El Salvador armed forces to stop killing their fellow Salvadorians. A death squad assassinated the archbishop only one day after his famous sermon.
Pakistan becomes the world's first Islamic republic. The Dominion of Pakistan also included the area of modern-day Bangladesh or East Pakistan, which seceded in 1971.
The Enabling Act of 1933 grants Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers in Germany. With the Ermächtigungsgesetz, Hitler was awarded the legal right to issue laws even if in breach of the German constitution.
The Football League meets for the first time. The league featuring teams from England and Wales was the world's oldest Association Football league. In 1992, its top 22 teams formed the Premier League.
Famous Births
Born on this day

Damon Albarn
1968
English singer-songwriter, producer, actor

Wernher von Braun
1912
German physicist, engineer

Akira Kurosawa
1910
Japanese director, screenwriter, producer

Amalie Emmy Noether
1882
German mathematician

Pierre-Simon Laplace
1749
French mathematician, astronomer
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Lee Kuan Yew
2015
Chinese/Singaporean politician, 1st Prime Minister of Singapore

Elizabeth Taylor
2011
English/American actress

Friedrich Hayek
1992
Austrian/English economist, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate

Bhagat Singh
1931
Indian activist

Paul I of Russia
1801