Today:
1056: Byzantine Empress Theodora dies, ending the Macedonian dynasty that had ruled the Byzantine Empire for nearly 200 years.
1422: King Henry V of England dies suddenly, and his nine-month-old son, Henry VI, becomes king.
1803: Lewis and Clark begin their expedition from Pittsburgh to explore the newly acquired western territory of the United States.
1888: Mary Ann Nichols, the first known victim of Jack the Ripper, is found murdered in London’s Whitechapel district.
1897: Thomas Edison patents the kinetoscope, a device for viewing moving pictures.
1920: The first radio news program is broadcast by 8MK in Detroit, Michigan.
1945: The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies, marking a significant shift in the country’s political landscape.
1957: The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains independence from the United Kingdom.
1991: Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
1997: Princess Diana dies in a car crash in Paris, leading to worldwide mourning.