Today in History

The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus.

The Cuzco Declaration signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the South American Community of Nations.

The leaders of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine sign an agreement that dissolves the Soviet Union and establishes the Commonwealth of Independent States.

An Israeli army tank transporter kills 4 Palestinian refugees and injures 7 others during a traffic accident at the Erez Crossing on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, leading to the First Intifada.

The Washington, D.C., police shoot and kill a man threatening to blow up the Washington Monument.

John Lennon is shot to death outside his Manhattan apartment building.

South Vietnam’s Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky arrives in Paris for peace talks.

In the biggest battle yet in the Mekong Delta, 365 Viet Cong are killed.

Sinead O’Connor, Irish singer, songwriter; has frequently generated controversy with her views on social issues such as organized religion and women’s rights.

Teri Hatcher, actress; Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series; won Golden Globe for Best Actress as Susan Mayer on Desperate Housewives TV series.

Kim Basinger, actress, singer, producer; won Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for L.A. Confidential (1997).

The United Nations approves the recognition of South Korea.

Gregg Allman, singer, songwriter, musician; founding member of The Allman Brothers Band.

The United States conducts the longest, most effective air raid on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima.

Larry Martin, paleontologist; leading opponent of the "birds are living dinosaurs" theory.

Bobby Elliott, drummer, member of the band The Hollies.

Sir James Galway, virtuoso flute player known as "The Man With the Golden Flute."

Flip Wilson (Clerow Wilson Jr.), comedian and actor; won a Golden Globe and two Emmy Awards for his 1970s TV variety series, The Flip Wilson Show.

Japan tells the League of Nations that it has no control over her designs in China.

Maximilian Schell, actor, writer, director, producer; won Academy Award for Best Actor for Judgement at Nuremberg (1961).

Sammy Davis Jr., singer ("The Candy Man"), dancer, actor (Ocean’s 11); member of the "Rat Pack".

Jean Ritchie, singer, songwriter of folk music ("Blue Diamond Mines").

President Woodrow Wilson declines to send a representative to the League of Nations in Geneva.

Richard Fleischer, film director, (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Soylent Green).

The German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Nurnberg, and Liepzig are sunk by a British force in the Battle of the Falkland Islands.

Delmore Schwartz, poet and writer.

Richard Llewellyn, author (How Green Was My Valley).

James Thurber, American writer, cartoonist and editor (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).

Union General William Averell’s cavalry destroys railroads in the southwestern part of West Virginia.

CSS Sumter captures the whaler Eben Dodge in the Atlantic. The American Civil War is now affecting the Northern whaling industry.

Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin.

The first Shakespearian actress to appear on an English stage (she is believed to be a Ms. Norris) makes her debut as Desdemona.

Christina, Queen of Sweden (1644-54).

Mary, Queen of Scotland (1542-67).

Quintus "Horance" Horatius Flaccus, Roman poet and satirist best known for his three books Odes.