1504 Michelangelo’s statue of David is unveiled to the public in Piazza della Signoria, Florence.
1565 Marking the end of a historical Siege where the Knights of St.John drove out the last Turkish troops.
1800 An end of the Siege of Valletta by the French Blockade. The French established themselves in Malta when the Order of Saint John surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte.
1664 Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, capital of New Netherland to Colonel Richard Nicolls from the English naval squadron. New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York in honour of the Duke of York.
1943 Italy signs an unconditional armistice with the Allies.
1925 British actor Peter Sellers, who portrayed a range of characters, best known for ‘Inspector Jacques Clouseau’ in the Pink Panther films, was born.
1945 U.S. troops land in Korea to begin their post-war occupation of the southern part of that nation, a month after Soviet troops had entered northern Korea to begin their own occupation. This division quickly becomes permanent.
2003 German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl died in Germany. She was perhaps the finest and most influential female director of the 20th century, by her association with Adolf Hitler made her almost as much reviled as admired.
