1618 – Second Defenestration of Prague: Two Catholic Lords Regent and their secretary are thrown out of a window and amazingly are not seriously injured by the 70 foot (21m) fall. Triggers the Thirty Years’ War.
1785 – Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals
1813 – South American independence leader Simón Bolívar enters Mérida, leading the invasion of Venezuela, and is proclaimed El Libertador (“The Liberator”)
1949 – Federal Republic of [West] Germany created out of the American, British and French occupation zones
1958 – Mao Zedong starts the “Great Leap Forward” movement in China
1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is accepted in a referendum in Northern Ireland with 75% voting yes.
2015 – Thousands of LGBTQ activists celebrated as Ireland became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage through referendum.
Births & Deaths:
1934 – Bonnie and Clyde, notorious American outlaws, were killed in a police shoot-out near Gibsland, Louisiana.
Film:
1980 - Horror film “The Shining” released directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, based on book by Stephen King
Music:
2000 - Eminem releases 3rd studio album “The Marshall Mathers LP”, is fastest ever selling studio album (Grammy – Best Rap Album 2001)
Sport:
1873 – 1st Preakness Stakes: G. Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43 at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland
Via Britannica / On This Day
