Constantine decrees Sunday as the Roman day of rest (321), and Iran severs ties with Britain over Rushdie's novel (1989). Born on this day: Maurice Ravel, Bryan Cranston and Rachel Weisz. Died: Stanley Kubrick, Antoninus Pius and Innocent XIII.
31 events, 78 births and 59 deaths on this date.
Constantine made Sunday, once sacred to the sun god Sol Invictus, a public day of rest across the empire. It was an early sign of the emperor's growing favour toward Christianity, and the weekly pause it set up still structures working life.
Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 2.5Tehran ended its ties with London after a quarrel over Salman Rushdie and his novel The Satanic Verses. The row over the book brought the two countries' dealings to a sudden halt.
After abandoning centuries of military non-alignment, Sweden formally became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The move followed Finland's accession the previous year and reshaped security arrangements across the Baltic region.
Thousands of educators across West Virginia walked off the job, demanding better pay and benefits in a dispute that spread from county to county. The action drew wide public support and showed how much leverage organised teachers could wield in a poor state.
The treaty closed the Ottoman–Venetian War and left Cyprus under Ottoman control. Venice gave up the island it had held for centuries, a loss that shaped Mediterranean trade and power for years to come.
Antoninus Pius's death left the throne to two adoptive sons, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Sharing power was unusual, and the pair ruled together until Verus died in 169.
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Ravel was a Frenchman who wrote music for piano, orchestra and the stage, and was known for his skill at orchestration. He is best remembered for Boléro, a piece built on endless repetition rather than development.
Unknown author Unknown author The image holder, the Bibliothèque nationale de France has not identified a photographer. (Follow link and click on "Detailed information".) · Public domain
American actor best known for playing Walter White in Breaking Bad, a role that earned him four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He has also won Tony and Olivier awards for stage work.
Philip Romano · CC BY-SA 4.0
British actress known for the Mummy films and The Constant Gardener, which won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also earned a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and a Laurence Olivier Award for stage work.
Montclair Film · CC BY 2.0
Stanley Kubrick was an American director famed for meticulous films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dr. Strangelove. He spent most of his later career working from Childwickbury Manor in England, where he kept tight control over every stage of production.
Phillip A. Harrington, an American photographer and staffer for Look magazine between 1949–1971 · Public domain
Roman emperor who ruled from 138 to 161 and is remembered for a long, largely peaceful reign. He left the state with a healthy reserve of money, extended public drinking water, and was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
Unknown artist Unknown artist · Public domain
Innocent XIII was pope from 1721 until his death in 1724, and is remembered for cutting back lavish papal spending. He also issued a decree barring future popes from giving land, offices or income to their relatives, a move many cardinals resented.
Possibly Agostino Masucci · Public domain
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