Today in History
Historical Events
Falcon 1 is launched. Falcon 1, the first privately supported and funded spacecraft, was launched into space on its fourth attempt by SpaceX.
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.
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.
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.
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
1968
English/Australian actress

Sheikh Hasina
1947
Bangladeshi politician, 10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Brigitte Bardot
1934
French actress, singer

Al Capp
1909
American cartoonist

Bhagat Singh
1907
Indian activist
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Pierre Trudeau
2000
Canadian politician, 15th Prime Minister of Canada

Miles Davis
1991
American trumpet player, composer, bandleader

Pope John Paul I
1978

Louis Pasteur
1895
French chemist, microbiologist

Herman Melville
1891
American writer