2021
Josephine Baker becomes the first black woman to be honored at Paris’ Panthéon, France’s highest honor.
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2021
El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel Aispuro sentenced to three years in the US for helping run her husband’s drug cartel and aid his escape from prison.
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2018
Ariana Grande released her “Thank U Next” music video.
It was the biggest music video launched on YouTube. The video broke several records on YouTube and Vevo and was nominated for Video of the Year at MTV Video Music Awards 2019.
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2017
A rainbow in Taiwan was visible for a record-breaking 8 hours and 58 minutes.
The rainbow arched over northern Taiwan for nearly nine hours, making it the longest-lasting rainbow on record.
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2000
The 101st Space Shuttle mission, STS-97, successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
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1999
Following a ban on exporting beef products from the UK, the government announced that the ban on beef on the bone would be lifted.
In 1996 the European Union placed a ban on exports of British beef. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more widely known as Mad Cow Disease, was detected in British beef. BSE had been linked with the human brain disease vCJD, so exports were banned.
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1982
Michael Jackson’s sixth studio album, “Thriller,” was released by Epic Records.
It was the best-selling album worldwide in 1983. Thriller was also the first album to become the best-selling in the United States for two years, in 1983 and 1984.
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1979
Pink Floyd released their eleventh studio album titled The Wall.
Upon its release, many people, including executives from Pink Floyd’s record label, didn’t really know what to make of it and even criticized the album. Nevertheless, The Wall reached legendary status, with the record-making platinum in both the UK and the US within a matter of months.
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1954
A meteorite crashed through the roof of an Alabama home and hit a woman taking a nap.
Ann Hodges was taking an afternoon siesta on the couch when a grapefruit-sized piece of meteorite came smashing through her roof. It bounced off a radio and hit her in the side, but fortunately only caused minor bruising. The local police confiscated the meteorite and sent it to the US Air Force.
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1936
The Crystal Palace in London caught fire and was destroyed.
The building was initially constructed in 1851 using cast iron and plate glass. A small fire started following an explosion in the women’s cloakroom, and around 89 fire engines and over 400 firemen came to help put out the ever-growing blaze. Sadly, the firefighters were unable to succeed, and the palace was destroyed within hours.
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1900
Thomas Gibson and James Mcgrath patented a steerable sled.
The improvements included foot propellers, brakes, and steering apparatus.
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1876
German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann found The Mask of Agamemnon at the Greek site of Mycenae.
The Mask of Agamemnon is a gold funeral mask dating back to around 1600 BC. Schliemann found the mask alongside three others, but this was the most significant, and it is on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
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1872
The world’s first international soccer match took place.
The game was between England and Scotland and happened at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, Glasgow. Four thousand people came to watch the game, finishing with a 0-0 draw.
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1803
The Balmis Expedition began in Spain. It’s considered the first international healthcare expedition in history.
The expedition led by Dr. Francisco Javier de Balmis aimed to vaccinate millions against smallpox in Spanish America and the Philippines.
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1753
Benjamin Franklin was awarded the Godfrey Copley Medal.
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1406
Pope Gregory XII was appointed head of the Catholic Church by a conclave of 15 cardinals in Rome.
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