Today:
837 – Halley’s Comet made its closest known approach to Earth, at a distance of about 0.03 AU (approximately 3.1 million miles).
1606 – The Charter of the Virginia Company of London was established by King James I, permitting English colonists to settle in North America.
1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first modern copyright act, came into effect in Great Britain.
1741 – War of the Austrian Succession: Prussian forces captured Prague.
1815 – Mount Tambora in Indonesia began its most violent eruption, which would become the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history.
1865 – During the American Civil War, General Robert E. Lee wrote his last letter as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, effectively ending the conflict.
1912 – The RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage to New York City.
1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published in New York City by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
1970 – Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles, effectively marking the end of the band.
1998 – The Good Friday Agreement was signed in Northern Ireland, marking a major political development in the peace process.