51 – Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title princeps iuventutis (head of the youth).1675 – John Flamsteed appointed first Astronomer Royal of England
1681 – King Charles II grants William Penn royal charter for Pennsylvania1774 – First sighting of Orion nebula by William Herschel
1793 – Washington’s second inauguration speech:
“Fellow Citizens:
I am again called upon by the voice of my country to execute the functions of its Chief Magistrate. When the occasion proper for it shall arrive, I shall endeavor to express the high sense I entertain of this
distinguished honor, and of the confidence which has been reposed in me by the people of united America. Previous to the execution of any official act of the President the Constitution requires an oath of office. This oath I am now about to take, and in your presence: That if it shall be found during my administration of the Government I have in any instance violated willingly or knowingly the injunctions thereof, I may (besides incurring constitutional punishment) be subject to the upbraidings of all who are now witnesses of the present solemn ceremony. ” (133 words)
1829 – Unruly crowd mobs White House during President Jackson inaugural ball
1841 – Longest inauguration speech (8,443 words), William Henry Harrison
1882 – Britain’s first electric trams run in East London.
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The Forth Bridge under construction
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1890 – The longest bridge in the Great Britain, the Forth Bridge (railway) (1,710 ft) in Scotland is opened by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII.
1913 – First US law regulating the shooting of migratory birds passed
1936 – First flight of airship Hindenburg
1977 – First CRAY 1 supercomputer shipped to Los Alamos Laboratories, New Mexico
1985 – Virtual ban on leaded gas ordered by EPA
1997 – Brazil Senate allows women to wear slacks
2012 – Vladimir Putin wins Russian presidential election amid allegations of voter fraud
2013 – The Papal Conclave begins to select the successor of Pope Benedict XVI
Birthdays
1678 – Antonio Vivaldi, Venice, Baroque violin virtuoso/composer
1847 – Karl Bayer, Austrian chemist (d. 1904)
1878 – Peter D. Ouspensky, Russian philosopher (d. 1947)
1909 – Harry B Helmsley, builder
Deaths
1831 – Georg Michael Telemann, composer, dies at 82
1953 – Sergei S Prokoviev, Russian composer (Peter & the wolf), dies at 61
1974 – Adolph Gottlieb, US painter, dies at 71
Various internet sources and searches are used in the making of this document