1754 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word serendipity
1813 – Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is published by Thomas Egerton in the United Kingdom
1928 – Christopher Hornsrud chosen PM of Norway
1939 – Australian Championships Women’s Tennis: In an all-Australian final Emily Hood Westacott beats Nell Hall Hopman 6-1, 6-2 for her only Grand Slam singles title
1951 – “La Vie Commence Demain” the 1st X-rated movie, depicting artificial insemination, opens in London
1952 – Australian Championships Women’s Tennis: In an all-Australian final Thelma Coyne Long beats Helen Angwin 6-2, 6-3 for 1st of her 2 Australian singles titles
1968 – 29th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Chandler Harper
1986 – Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, with all 7 crew members killed, including Christa McAuliffe who was to be the first teacher in space
2012 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Victoria Azarenka becomes first Belarusian player to win Grand Slam singles title; beats Maria Sharapova of Russia 6-3, 6-0
2018 – French drivers Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia win their 6th Monte Carlo Rally in an M-Sport Ford WRT