1477 – First English dated printed book “Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers” by William Caxton
1626 – St. Peter’s Basilica is consecrated, replacing an earlier basilica on the same site and becoming the world’s largest Christian basilica
1916 – British General Douglas Haig finally calls off the 1st Battle of the Somme in World War I after more than 1 million soldiers had been killed or wounded
1978 – In Jonestown, Guyana, 918 members of the Peoples Temple are murdered or commit suicide under the leadership of cult leader Jim Jones
1993 – Black and white leaders in South Africa approve new democratic constitution
2009 – American Democratic politician Robert C. Byrd became the longest-serving member of Congress, with a combined service in the House of Representatives and Senate of 56 years 319 days; he died the following year.
2011 – Video game Minecraft is officially released by Mojang
2015 – French police raid terrorist cell in Saint Denis, killing 2 including the leader of the Paris terror attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud
2019 – Deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest worst since 2008, has lost 9,762 sq km (3,769 sq miles) of vegetation in 12 months according to country’s Space Agency
2019 – World wind speeds have risen, 3x faster since 2010 than previous decades of decline, according to Princeton study published in “Nature Climate Change”
Births & Deaths:
1941 – John Christian Watson, the first Labour prime minister of Australia, died in Sydney.
2015 – New Zealand rugby union football player Jonah Lomu, who was perhaps rugby’s first global icon, died of a heart attack at age 40 after a long battle with kidney disease.
Film & TV:
1928 – Walt Disney’s “Steamboat Willie” released, first Mickey Mouse sound cartoon
1959 – The American dramatic film Ben-Hur, arguably the best of Hollywood’s biblical epics, had its world premiere; it later won an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards.
2015 – “Kangaroo Dundee” wildlife TV series premieres featuring Brolga and Roger the ripped Kangaroo on BBC Two
Music:
1997 – Metallica release the album “ReLoad”
2011 – “The X Factor” group One Direction release their debut album “Up All Night” in Ireland and the UK
Sport:
1990 – 1st Solheim Cup Women’s Golf, Lake Nona G & CC: US beats Europe 11½-4½ in inaugural event; Kathy Whitworth US captain; Mickey Walker Europe skipper
