Napoleon's Grand Army invades Russia (1812), and Footballer Lionel Messi is born in Argentina (1987). Born on this day: Lionel Messi, Claudia Sheinbaum and Victor Francis Hess. Died: Grover Cleveland, Lucrezia Borgia and Benigno Aquino III.
34 events, 73 births and 53 deaths on this date.
Napoleon sent his huge multinational army across the border into Russia, opening a campaign that would end in catastrophe. The force was later destroyed by hunger, cold and the long retreat from Moscow.
Jacques-Louis David · Public domainThe French RevolutionHear the story in ChunksLionel Messi came into the world in Argentina and went on to become one of football's most decorated players. He won eight Ballons d'Or and captained Inter Miami after a long spell at Barcelona.
Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0
After defeating Rajah Sulayman at Bangkusay, Miguel López de Legazpi began building the walled fortress of Intramuros on older ruins. It soon became the capital of Spain's East Indies, and its galleon trade linked Asia with the Americas across the Pacific.
The state's top court found the death penalty law itself unconstitutional, so New York could no longer put anyone to death under it. Other states kept their own laws, but the ruling removed the death penalty from New York's statute books.
Trajan formally put into service a new aqueduct that draws water from Lake Bracciano, about 40 kilometres northwest of the city. It added a fresh water source for the capital.
Henry VIII ended his fourth marriage after only six months, sending Anne of Cleves away from court. She accepted the arrangement and was given generous estates, and she remained in England after the divorce.
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Argentine forward widely judged one of the greatest players ever, and the most decorated in football history, with eight Ballons d'Or and 47 team trophies. He spent most of his career at Barcelona before moving to Inter Miami in the United States.
Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Claudia Sheinbaum is a Mexican climate scientist turned politician who has been president of Mexico since 2024, the first woman to hold the office. Before that she led Mexico City's government from 2018 to 2023 after years as an energy researcher.
Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hess was an Austrian-born physicist known for discovering cosmic rays, the high-energy radiation that strikes Earth from space. He won a 1936 Nobel Prize, splitting it with Carl Anderson.
Public domain
Grover Cleveland was the only US president to serve non-consecutive terms, winning in 1884 and again in 1892. A Democrat who fought political corruption, he was admired for honesty and fiscal caution.
Unknown author Unknown author or not provided · Public domain
Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and her family arranged three marriages for her to gain influence. She became Duchess of Ferrara, though her reputation as a dangerous femme fatale owes much to lurid rumours about her family.
Attributed to Dosso Dossi · Public domain
Benigno Aquino III, the son of two Philippine leaders, served as president from 2010 to 2016 and oversaw strong economic growth that earned the country the nickname Rising Tiger. He was also known for taking China to international arbitration over the South China Sea, a case the Philippines won.
Jeffrey Avellanosa from Makati, Philippines · CC BY-SA 2.0
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