Today in History

Shanghai Transrapid sets a new world speed record (311 mph or 501 kph) for commercial railway systems.

Ramzi Yousef convicted of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 collides with a Kazakh Illyushin II-76 cargo plane near New Delhi, killing 349. It is the deadliest mid-air collision to date (2013) and third-deadliest aircraft accident.

Sir Timothy John “Tim” Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, publishes a formal proposal for the creation of the World Wide Web.

Boris Yeltsin is fired as head of Moscow’s Communist Party for criticizing the slow pace of reform.

President Richard Nixon announces the withdrawal of about 45,000 U.S. troops from Vietnam by February.

Sammy Sosa, pro baseball player from Dominican Republic; only MLB player to hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times, he was denied entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 after as-yet unproven allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs.

Naomi Wolf, activist, author of The Beauty Myth; a leader in what has been described as the third wave of the feminist movement.

Nadia Comaneci, Olympic gold medal-winning Romanian gymnast; named one of the athletes of the century by Laureus World Sports Academy (2000).

The satellite Discoverer XVII is launched into orbit from California’s Vandenberg AFB.

Tim Samaras, engineer and storm chaser who contributed to scientific knowledge of tornadoes; killed along with his son Paul and meteorologist Carl Young by a tornado with winds of nearly 300 mph near El Reno, Okla,, in 2013.

Ronald Burkle, business magnate; founded Yucaipa Companies private investment firm and is co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins pro hockey team.

The U.S. Eighth Army in Korea is ordered to cease offensive operations and begin an active defense.

Hikedi Tojo, Japanese prime minister, and seven others are sentenced to hang by an international tribunal.

Neil Young, singer, songwriter, musician, producer; member of several well-known bands including Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

The German battleship Tirpitz is sunk in a Norwegian fjord.

Madame Lillian Evanti and Mary Cardwell Dawson establish the National Negro Opera Company.

Mexico agrees to compensate the United States for land seizures.

Grace Kelly, American actress and Princess of Monaco.

The ocean liner Vestris sinks off the Virginia cape with 328 aboard, killing 111.

Canada is admitted to the League of Nations.

Adolf Hitler is arrested for his attempted German coup.

Charlotte MacLeod, mystery writer (Rest You Merry, Maid of Honor).

Buck Clayton, jazz trumpeter.

The Lebaudy brothers of France set an air-travel distance record of 34 miles in a dirigible.

DeWitt Wallace, founder of Reader’s Digest.

Mount Vesuvius erupts.

Sun Yat-Sen, Chinese revolutionary who founded the Nationalist Party.

Confederate General James Longstreet arrives at Loudon, Tennessee, to assist the attack on Union General Ambrose Burnside’s troops at Knoxville.

The first flying-trapeze circus act is performed by Jules Leotard at the Circus Napoleon.

Auguste Rodin, French sculptor.

Mirza Hoseyn ‘Ali Nuri (Baha’ Ullah), founder of the Baha’i faith.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, political reformer and founder of the Women’s Rights Convention.

Suspicious of the intentions of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the Prince of Wales, English King Edward I resolves to invade Wales.

King Canute of Norway dies.