Historical Events
1219 – Dannebrog is the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world. According to legend, it fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia, and turned the Danes’ luck
1857 – San Francisco Water Works organized
1864 – US Congress passes legislation equalizing pay for Black soldiers
1864 – Capt Mendell begins building 640m long ponton bridge over James River, Virginia
1888 – Wilhelm II becomes Emperor of Germany
2001 – 55th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 1
Famous Birthdays
1809 – François-Xavier Garneau, French-Canadian poet and historian (d. 1866)
1894 – Nikolai Chebotaryov, Ukrainian mathematician (d. 1947)
1901 – Peter Shankland, English filmmaker and historian
1908 – Sam Giancana, American mafioso, born in Chicago, Illinois
1925 – Jaime Sabines, Mexican poet (Tarumba, Maltiempes)
1926 – Basil Watts, English rugby league second rower (5 Tests Great Britain, 1 England; World Cup 1954; York RLFC), born in York, England (d. 2019)
Famous Deaths
1768 – James Short, Scottish mathematician and manufacturer of telescopes, dies at 57
1965 – E. A. Speiser, American Bible scholar (b. 1902
1971 – Wendell Meredith Stanley, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
1996 – Ella Fitzgerald, singer, dies at 78
2008 – Stan Winston, American special effects and makeup artist, and film director (b. 1946)
2015 – Mighty Sam McClain, American soul and blues singer-songwriter, dies at 72