Today in History

Historical Events

2008

Falcon 1 is launched. Falcon 1, the first privately supported and funded spacecraft, was launched into space on its fourth attempt by SpaceX.

1995

Israel and PLO Sign the Oslo II Accords. The Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, also known as the Taba Agreement, divided Gaza and West Bank into 3 areas, and gave limited control over some of these areas to the Palestinians. The Accord, which was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, also called for Palestinian elections.

1980

Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: A Personal Voyage Makes its Debut. The widely popular 13-episode science television documentary series was broadcast on Public Broadcasting Service. It was presented by astronomer Carl Sagan and written by Ann Druyan, Sagan, and Steven Soter. It was, and remains, one of the most watched science-based TV documentaries.

1961

Dissolution of the United Arab Republic. A coup in Damascus led to the dissolution of the United Arab Republic, which was a short-lived union between Syria and Egypt.

1924

First Flight Around the World. On April 6, 1924, 4 teams of pilots from the United States Army Air Service set out from Seattle, Washington in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. The 4 Douglas World Cruiser planes were named Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans. 175 days later, Chicago and New Orleans touched down in Seattle – Boston and Seattle did not complete the 27,500-mile journey around the world.

Famous Births

Born on this day

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts

1968

English/Australian actress

Sheikh Hasina

Sheikh Hasina

1947

Bangladeshi politician, 10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

1934

French actress, singer

Al Capp

Al Capp

1909

American cartoonist

Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh

1907

Indian activist

Famous Deaths

Died on this day

Pierre Trudeau

Pierre Trudeau

2000

Canadian politician, 15th Prime Minister of Canada

Miles Davis

Miles Davis

1991

American trumpet player, composer, bandleader

Pope John Paul I

Pope John Paul I

1978

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur

1895

French chemist, microbiologist

Herman Melville

Herman Melville

1891

American writer