1387 – Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” characters begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury (according to scholars) 1492 – Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the “Indies” with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered. 1895 – Treaty of Shimonoseki is signed ending the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) 1961– 1,400 Cuban exiles land in Bay of Pigs in a doomed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro 1982– Proclamation of the Constitution Act by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. 2003 – AnneliJäätteenmäki was sworn in as prime minister of Finland, which thereby became the second country (after New Zealand) to install a woman as head of both state and government. Births & Deaths: 1790 – American printer, publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and diplomat Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, died.
2014 – Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez—winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and widely considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century—died in Mexico City.
Film: 2011– “Game of Thrones”, based on the fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin premieres on HBO
Music: 1970 - Paul McCartney’s 1st solo album “McCartney” is released
