Historical Events
1498 – Christopher Columbus lands for the first time in South America near the mouth of the Orinoco River in modern-day Venezuela
1883 – Amsterdam’s Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky integrates modern electric lighting
1987 – Music video channel MTV Europe launches with Elton John throwing the switch; “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits is the first video presented
1992 – NBC’s “Saturday Today” premieres, extending the Today franchise to broadcasting seven days a week
2020 – Egypt tells Elon Musk its pyramids were not built by aliens after Musk tweets in support of a conspiracy theory that they were
Famous Birthdays
1909 – Nigel Henderson, British Royal Navy officer, 1927-71 (Admiral, 1964-71; Chairman of NATO Military Committee ,1968-71), born in the UK (d. 1993)
1932 – Ron Friedman, American screenwriter (The Transformers: The Movie; Fantasy Island), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2025)
1957 – (Brad) “Taylor” Negron, American actor and writer (Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Easy Money; Punchline), born in Glendale, California (d. 2015)
1982 – Caroline Shaw, American violinist, singer, and Pulitzer Prize winning composer (Partita for 8 Voices), born in Greenville, North Carolina
1986 – Anton Strålman, Swedish ice hockey player, born in Tibro, Sweden
Famous Deaths
1190 – Floris III, Count of Holland, dies at about 49 [born c. 1141]
1743 – Richard Savage, English poet and playwright, dies at about 46
1918 – John Riley Banister, American law officer and cowboy, dies at 64
1993 – Ewing Kaufman, founder/owner (KC Royals), dies of lung cancer at 76
2012 – Joan Bernard, British army officer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and founding principal of Trevelyan College (1966-78), dies due to ill-health at 94