Mary I proclaimed queen of England (1553), and Guinean president survives assassination attempt and coup at his Conakry residence (2011). Born on this day: Edgar Degas, Vladimir Mayakovsky and Benedict Cumberbatch. Died: Syngman Rhee, Garry Marshall and James Garner.
31 events, 57 births and 44 deaths on this date.
Henry VIII's daughter took the crown after Lady Jane Grey had held it for only nine days, rallying support in East Anglia to win. She became England's first undisputed queen regnant, while Jane was later executed.
Antonis Mor · Public domainAlpha Condé came through an armed attack on his home in Conakry, the capital, which was both an attempt on his life and an effort to seize power. Guinea has a long history of military takeovers, so the episode drew attention to how fragile its newly elected government remained.
At a private meeting, French president François Mitterrand told Ronald Reagan about the Farewell Dossier, documents showing Moscow had long taken American technology for its own use. The revelation gave Washington proof of how much American research Moscow had quietly obtained.
At a Saigon rally, South Vietnam's prime minister urged that the conflict be carried north into the territory of his rivals. The speech reflected growing frustration in the south with the stalemate against communist forces.
The blaze was the last major fire to hit Manhattan. Thirty people lost their lives, among them four firefighters, and it reduced 345 buildings to ruins before the afternoon was out.
France formally declared war on Prussia, opening a conflict that would run until early 1871. Its real causes lay in France's anxiety about losing its leading place in Europe after Prussia's victory over Austria in 1866.
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Edgar Degas was a French painter, sculptor and poet, one of the founders of Impressionism, though he preferred to be called a realist. He is best known for his pastels and paintings of ballet dancers, of which more than half his works depict.
Edgar Degas · Public domain
Vladimir Mayakovsky was a Russian Futurist poet who also wrote plays, acted and designed agitprop posters for the Bolsheviks. He is remembered for verse that backed the revolution while mocking its bureaucracy.
Unidentified photographer · Public domain
Benedict Cumberbatch is an English actor best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock, which won him a Primetime Emmy. He has also earned Academy Award nominations for The Imitation Game and The Power of the Dog.
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America · CC BY-SA 2.0
Rhee was South Korea's first president, serving from 1948 until he resigned in 1960 amid protests over authoritarian rule. Earlier, he had led the Korean Provisional Government in exile and campaigned for independence from Japan.
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
Garry Marshall was an American screenwriter and director best known for creating the sitcom Happy Days and directing Pretty Woman. He also made films such as The Princess Diaries and Runaway Bride.
Louise Palanker · CC BY-SA 2.0
James Garner was an American actor best known for television roles as the gambler Bret Maverick and the private investigator Jim Rockford. He also starred in films such as The Great Escape and earned an Oscar nomination for Murphy's Romance.
Alan Light · CC BY 2.0
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