1697 Dedication of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, designed by Christopher Wren. It replaces a medieval cathedral that had burned in the Great Fire of 1666. The Right Reverend Henry Compton, Bishop of London, preaches the dedication sermon based on Psalm 122: “I was glad when they said unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
1804 General Napoleon Bonaparte is crowned Emperor of the French at the Notre Dame de Paris in a ceremony officiated by Pope Pius VII.
1823 US President James Monroe declares the “Monroe Doctrine” opposing European colonialism in the Americas, arguing any European political intervention in the New World would be a hostile act against the United States.
1845 US President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the United States should aggressively expand into the West, a widely held belief termed “manifest destiny” by newspaper editor John O’Sullivan.
1873 After years of struggle, Frances Havergal, Christian singer, sees the importance of complete Christian surrender “as a flash of electric light,” and makes it.
1906 The first of Paulo Mwamribwa’s pupils are baptized in Digoland, Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika). He had founded the first indigenous Protestant mission school in the Gombero area.
1916 The Suwa Maru docks at Kobe carrying missionary Irene “Sensei” Webster-Smith, who will later rescue Geisha children and convert Japanese war criminals.
1929 First skull of Peking man found in the caves of Zhoukoudian, 50 km outside of Peking, China. Later dated roughly 750,000 years old. [1]
1976 Communist revolutionary Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
Today’s Historical Events
Today in Film & TV
1933 Fred Astaire’s 1st film, “Dancing Lady”, released
Today in Music
1883 Johannes Brahms’ “3rd Symphony in F” premieres with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Today in Sport
1907 Association of Football Players’ and Trainers’ Union (English Professional Football Players’ Association) is formed by Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith in Manchester, England
Do you know this fact about today? Did You Know?
1982 1st permanent artificial heart successfully implanted (U of Utah) in retired dentist Barney Clark; lived 112 days with Jarvic-7 heart
Would you believe this fact about today? Would You Believe?
1927 1st Model A Ford sold, for $385
