Today:
1349 – The Jewish population of Basel, Switzerland, was accused of poisoning wells and burned alive during the Black Death persecutions.
1431 – Judges’ investigations for the trial of Joan of Arc began in Rouen, France.
1768 – Philip Astley opened the first modern circus in London, establishing the format of equestrian performances and clowns.
1793 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard made the first successful balloon flight in the United States, ascending from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1861 – Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union during the American Civil War.
1878 – Umberto I became King of Italy following the death of his father, Victor Emmanuel II.
1909 – Ernest Shackleton’s expedition reached the farthest southern latitude (88°23′S) at the time during the Nimrod Expedition to Antarctica.
1923 – Juan de la Cierva performed the first flight of an autogyro, a precursor to the helicopter.
1945 – The United States began the invasion of Luzon during World War II, landing at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines.
2005 – Mahmoud Abbas was elected President of the Palestinian Authority following the death of Yasser Arafat.
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