In 1770 – The Boston Massacre. Five Americans were fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War five years later.
Above: A detail from an illustration of the incident, made by Henry Pelham.
In 1861, Alexander II of Russia signed the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing Russian serfs.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy announced the creation of the Peace Corps in a nationally televised broadcast.
Born in 1533 – Michel de Montaigne, French writer and philosopher.
“My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened.”
Born in 1943 – George Harrison, English guitarist and singer-songwriter.
It’s the feast day of Polycarp, the 2nd-century bishop of Smyrna. Martyred for refusing to burn incense to the emperor, he was bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to touch him.
Born in 1950 – Julius Erving, American basketball player.
On this day in 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.
Above: Malcolm X in front of his house, six days before his assassination.
Born in 1943 – Mike Leigh, English director and screenwriter.
Above: Leigh directing a scene in his 2014 film, Mr. Turner.
Born in 1473 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer.
Above: Heliocentric model of the solar system in Copernicus’ manuscript.
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