Historical Events
1789
William Wilberforce makes his first speech against the slave trade in the British Parliament.
1820
Florence Nightingale is born.
1949
The Soviet blockade of Berlin is lifted.
1975
Cambodia seizes the American merchant ship SS Mayaguez.
2008
An earthquake in Sichuan province, China, kills nearly 70,000 people.
Famous Birthdays
1820
Florence Nightingale
British founder of modern nursing who revolutionized healthcare during the Crimean War.
1828
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
English poet and painter and co-founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
1902
Léon Blum
French socialist politician who was Prime Minister three times.
1937
George Carlin
American comedian and social critic known for his dark and irreverent humor.
1968
Tony Hawk
American skateboarder who popularized the sport worldwide.
