1451 Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror inherits the throne of the Ottoman Empire
1509 The Battle of Diu, naval battle at port of Diu, India between Portugal and the Ottoman Empire, establishes Portuguese trading control
1788 Richard Johnson, first Christian cleric appointed to Australia, preaches his first sermon in that country.
1870 US state of Iowa ratifies the 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution allowing suffrage for all races & colour
1928 Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China in the journal Nature and declares them to be a new species he names ‘Sinanthropus pekinensis’ (now known as ‘Homo erectus’)
1966 1st soft landing on Moon (Soviet Luna 9)
1985 Desmond Tutu of South Africa becomes Johannesburg’s first black Anglican bishop.
1998 Execution in Texas of Karla Faye Tucker, a murderess, who converted to Christianity on death row and died praising Jesus. Movies and documentaries will be made about her life.
Historical Events Today
Today In Film & TV
1960 “La Dolce Vita” directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg has its film premiere in Italy
Today In Music
1959 “The Day the Music Died” plane crash kills musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J. P. Richardson and pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa
Today In Sport
1876 Albert Spalding invests $800 to start sporting goods company, manufacturing first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball and football
Do You Know This Fact About Today?
1882 Circus owner P. T. Barnum buys his world-famous elephant Jumbo
Would You Believe This Fact About Today?
1931 Arkansas legislature passes motion to pray for soul of journalist H. L. Mencken, after he calls the state the “apex of moronia”
