971 War elephant corps of the Southern Han defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops; Southern Han state forced to submit to the Song Dynasty. 1st regular war elephant corps in Chinese army
1368 In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.
1556 Shaanxi Earthquake, the deadliest ever recorded, kills 830,000 in Shaanxi Province, China
1821 Lott Carey, a Baptist, sails with 28 colleagues from Norfolk, Virginia, to Sierra Leone to become the first African-American missionary to Africa.
1950 Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel
1973 US President Richard Nixon announces an accord has been reached to end Vietnam War
1978 Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, believed to be damaging to earth’s ozone layer.
Historical Events Today
Today In Film & Tv
1977 Mini-series “Roots” premieres on ABC
Today In Sport
2018 LeBron James becomes the 7th and youngest (33 years 24 days) to reach the 30,000 NBA point milestone during 114-102 loss to San Antonio Spurs
Do You Know This Fact About Today? Did You Know?
1862 Agoston Haraszthy, 1st vintner in Sonoma Valley, California imports 10,000 grape vine cuttings
Would You Believe This Fact About Today? Would You Believe?
1897 Elva Zona Heaster is found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Resulting murder trial of her husband perhaps the only case in US history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction.
