1595– Astronomer Johannes Kepler has an epiphany and develops his theory of the geometrical basis of the universe while teaching in Graz
1843 – The steamship SS Great Britain is launched, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull or screw propeller and the largest vessel afloat in the world
1848 – The women’s suffrage movement in the United States was launched with the opening of the Seneca Falls Convention, which sought to gain certain rights and privileges for women, notably the right to vote.
1886 – Franz Liszt played the piano for the last time at a concert, in Luxembourg.
1925 - Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf (original title was the catchy “Four and a Half Years (of Struggle) Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice”)
1941– British PM Winston Churchill launches his “V for Victory” campaign
1995 – “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,” a memoir by a little-known law professor named Barack Obama, is published.
Births & Deaths:
1903 – French bicyclist Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France, which covered 2,428 km (1,508 miles).
1989 – 21-year-old actress Rebecca Schaeffer is murdered at her Los Angeles home by Robert John Bardo, a mentally unstable man who had been stalking her.
2014 – American actor James Garner, who was perhaps best known for his roles in the television series Maverick and The Rockford Files, died in California.
Film & TV:
1941 – Tom and Jerry first appear under their own names in cartoon “The Midnight Snack” by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Music:
1913– Billboard publishes earliest known “Last Week’s 10 Best Sellers among Popular Songs” Malinda’s Wedding Day is #1
Sport:
1877– 1st Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: 27-year-old English rackets player Spencer Gore wins inaugural event; beats William Marshall 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
