Historical Events
1840 – Nine Jewish prisoners are released from Damascus jails
1914 – World War I: British General John French orders civilian evacuation of Amiens, France as German forces push in from Belgium
1957 – US Senator James Thurmond (Rep, SC) begins 24-hr filibuster against civil rights bill
1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I have a dream” speech addressing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom civil rights march at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
1973 – India and Pakistan sign POW accord
1981 – John Hinckley pleads innocent to attempt to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan
Famous Birthdays
1025 – Emperor Go-Reizei of Japan, 70th Emperor of Japan, born in Heian-kyō, Japan (d. 1068)
1582 – Taichang Emperor [Zhu Changluo], 14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, born in Beijing (d. 1620)
1789 – Stéphanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden, born in Versailles, France (d. 1860)
1906 – John Betjeman, poet (Mount Zion) and English Poet Laureate (1972-1984), born in London (d. 1984)
1949 – Hugh Cornwell, Britsh punk singer-songwriter (The Stranglers – “Dreamtime”), born in Tufnell Park, North London, England
1971 – Shane Andrews, infielder (Montreal Expos), born in Dallas, Texas
Famous Deaths
1544 – Alardus Aemstelredamus, Dutch priest and humanist, dies at about 53
1969 – Clarence Hennecke, American actor (The Strong Man, Murder by Television, Keystone Kops), dies at 74
1981 – Paul Anspach, Belgian fencer (Olympic gold individual epée, team epée 1912), dies at 99
1988 – Paul Whitelaw, New Zealand cricket batsman (2 Tests; Auckland), dies at 78
1991 – Eleanor Berry, actress (Death Valley Days), dies
2013 – Rob du Bois, Dutch composer, dies at 79