Granma lands in Cuba with Castro and Guevara aboard (1956), and Canada and Poland recognise Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union (1991). Born on this day: Britney Spears, Maria Callas and Pedro II. Died: Hernán Cortés, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Marquis de Sade.
30 events, 48 births and 69 deaths on this date.
Eighty-two revolutionaries sailed the yacht Granma from Mexico to a swampy stretch of Cuba's coast, ending a voyage that launched the guerrilla campaign against Batista. The landing was chaotic and many were killed or captured, but the survivors reached the Sierra Maestra and carried the revolution forward.
Unknown (Mondadori Publishers) · Public domainCanada and Poland became the first countries to formally recognise Ukraine as an independent state, breaking from the Soviet Union. The move came weeks after Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum.
After a trip to Vietnam requested by President Kennedy, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield publicly questioned how the war was going. His remarks were the first from an American official of his standing to be critical of it.
Alabama became the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment, followed quickly by North Carolina and Georgia, the step that would outlaw slavery across the United States. Within two weeks, enslaved people across the country were legally free.
Pakistan swore in Benazir Bhutto as prime minister, making her the first woman to lead a government in a nation where most people are Muslim. Her party had won the 1988 election after she spent years in prison and exile under military rule.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Ford's reworked Model A was its first all-new car in eighteen years, ending a long stretch without a fresh design. It came from the company Henry Ford founded, and it gave buyers something new after almost two decades.
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American singer known as the Princess of Pop, whose 1999 debut single and albums made her one of the best-selling musicians of her era. She also won a Grammy for Toxic and has been celebrated for her energetic live performances.
Jen from USA. · CC BY 2.0
Maria Callas was an American-Greek soprano widely regarded as one of the great opera singers of the twentieth century. Critics admired her bel canto technique and dramatic power, earning her the nickname La Divina.
CBS Television · Public domain
Pedro II was born in Rio de Janeiro and went on to rule Brazil for nearly sixty years, the country's last emperor. He is remembered for a stable reign, support for education and science, and for enabling the abolition of slavery.
Alphonse Liébert · Public domain
Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that brought down the Aztec Empire and placed much of mainland Mexico under the Castilian crown. He died in Castilleja de la Cuesta near Seville, having spent his last years trying to win back the favour he had lost at court.
Unknown artist Unknown artist · Public domain
Giscard d'Estaing led France from 1974 until losing to François Mitterrand in 1981. He modernised the presidency, backed liberal social reforms such as legalising abortion, and pushed France toward nuclear power and the TGV.
Christian Lambiotte · CC BY 4.0
A French nobleman and writer whose novels, including Justine and The 120 Days of Sodom, combined explicit sexual cruelty with philosophical argument. Much of his life was spent in prisons and asylums, and the word sadism takes its name from the characters he invented.
Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo · Public domain
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