661 – Rashidun Caliphate, then the largest empire in history, ends with the death of its leader, Ali. Succeeded by the Umayyad Caliphate.
1595 – William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet” is thought to have been first performed. Officially published early 1597.
1886 – Karl Benz patents the “Benz Patent-Motorwagen” in Karlsruhe, Germany, the world’s 1st automobile with a burning motor
1892 – The Coca-Cola Company is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia
1896 – Emile Grubbe is the first doctor to use radiation treatment for breast cancer
1925 – British Liberal Party chooses David Lloyd George as leader
1942 – German & Italian troops occupy Benghazi, Libya
1948 – Pakistan Socialist Party is founded
1959 – Smog pollution with readings higher than the 1952 ‘Great Smog of London’ hits London, with many suffering chest and lung-related illnesses
1976 – Bombs set off in London’s West End by the IRA; 1 person is injured
1979 – US President Jimmy Carter commuted Patricia Hearst’s 7 year sentence to 2 years
1985 – Oxford University refuses to award Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher an honorary degree
1991 – Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet after 28 years
1996 – France will no longer test nuclear weapons, its president Jacques Chirac says, following international outcry over tests in the Pacific
2002 – US President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address describes “regimes that sponsor terror” an “Axis of Evil”, which includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea
2003 – Sally Clark cleared of murdering her 2 sons after more than 3 years of prison in what was a life sentence
2005 – The first direct commercial flights from the mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrived in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines carrier landed in Beijing.
2014 – Archaeologists discover the oldest Roman Temple (6th C BC) at Sant’Omobono
2015 – Malaysia officially declares the disappearance of missing flight MH370 an accident
2019 – Iranian city Tehran bans dog walking in public and driving with dogs
2019 – Norwegian government proposes building a floating road tunnel as part of a new roadway between Kristians and Trondheim
2020 – Number of COVID-19 cases passes those of SARS with over 7,700 cases in China confirmed, with 170 deaths
Film & TV:
1964 – “Dr Strangelove”, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, premieres
2018 – Marvel film “Black Panther” directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman premieres in Los Angeles
Music:
1996 – 6,138th performance of “Cats” is held in London, surpassing record of Broadway’s longest-running musical, “A Chorus Line”
1969 – Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend wage a battle of guitars
Sport:
1936 – 1st players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson & Walter Johnson
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the 1st non-Spanish player to captain Real Madrid, making his 500th appearance for the club
2018 – David Beckham launches a Major League Soccer team in Miami
