Beethoven's First Symphony premieres in Vienna (1800), and Gorbachev arrives in Havana to meet Fidel Castro (1989). Born on this day: Hans Christian Andersen, Charlemagne and Émile Zola. Died: St. John Paul II, Georges Pompidou and Samuel F.B. Morse.
31 events, 49 births and 62 deaths on this date.
Beethoven conducted the first performance of his First Symphony in Vienna, a work that showed he could stretch the classical form of Haydn and Mozart. It marked his first step into the orchestral writing that would make him one of the most performed composers in history.
Joseph Karl Stieler · Public domainMikhail Gorbachev landed in Cuba to hold talks with Fidel Castro, hoping to repair a relationship that had grown strained. The visit was a sign of how far Soviet policy under Gorbachev had shifted from its old alliances.
The former segregationist governor, remembered for standing in a schoolhouse doorway to block integration, said he would not run for a fifth term. He will step away from politics when his current term ends in January 1987.
The act taxed the extra profits oil producers made as prices rose during the 1979 oil crisis. It fitted into the energy policy Carter had built around conservation, price controls and new technology.
Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Naval Photographic Center · Public domain
More than sixty tornadoes struck the United States in a single outbreak, with Tennessee bearing the worst of it. The storms there killed 29 people, making it the deadliest part of the day's severe weather.
The new liner set out on her first test runs before leaving Belfast for Southampton, where she would soon begin her maiden crossing. Her sinking weeks later would make her one of the most famous disasters at sea.
Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart · Public domain
For the full day, download Chunks today. Every date, the stories behind them, and a new day each morning. Free to start.
Danish writer best known for his fairy tales, among them The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen. His stories have been rendered into well over a hundred languages and inspired ballets and films.
Thora Hallager · Public domain
Charlemagne was a Frankish king who united most of Western and Central Europe. In 800 he was crowned emperor in Rome, and he is regarded as the first Holy Roman Emperor.
Charlemagne. Autorité émettrice de monnaie indéterminé. Atelier monétaire. Émetteur · Public domain
French novelist and journalist whose newspaper article J'Accuse...! helped win freedom for army officer Alfred Dreyfus, who had been falsely convicted. He is remembered as a leading figure of literary naturalism, the school that aimed to depict ordinary life with scientific precision.
Émile Zola · Public domain
Karol Wojtyła, the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years, led the Catholic Church for almost 27 years. He is remembered for travelling widely, reaching out to other faiths, and his long, public papacy that ended with his death in Rome.
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY 3.0 pl
Georges Pompidou was a banker who served as Prime Minister under de Gaulle before becoming France's president. He died in office of a rare blood cancer, and is remembered for the Centre Pompidou, the modern art museum he initiated.
Farabola · Public domain
Morse began as a portrait painter before turning, in middle age, to electrical signalling. He helped develop the single-wire telegraph and the dot-and-dash code that carries his name, and he pushed telegraphy into commercial use.
Mathew Benjamin Brady · Public domain
Download on iOS
Download on Android