Today:
217: Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated and succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Macrinus.
1139: King Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated by the Second Lateran Council under Pope Innocent II.
1789: The United States House of Representatives holds its first meeting with a quorum present.
1820: The Venus de Milo is discovered by a peasant on the Aegean island of Milos.
1904: France and the United Kingdom sign the Entente Cordiale, resolving long-standing colonial disputes.
1913: The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, establishing the direct election of senators.
1952: President Harry S. Truman issues an executive order seizing control of the nation’s steel mills to avert a strike.
1973: Renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso dies at his home in Mougins, France, at age 91.
1974: Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking the record previously held by Babe Ruth.
2024: A total solar eclipse crosses North America, passing over parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada.