Today in History
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2013
The trial against whistleblower Bradley Manning begins
The American soldier, a trans woman now called Chelsea Manning, was responsible for leaking classified videos documenting U.S. war atrocities during the Iraq War. She was sentenced to 35 years confinement.
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1998
101 people die in the Eschede train disaster
Traveling at 200 km/h (120 mph), a high-speed ICE train derailed and crashed into a bridge. The accident was caused by a fatigue crack in one of the train's wheels. It was the deadliest high-speed train disaster in history.
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1982
The Israeli ambassador to the U.K. is shot
Shlomo Argov survived the assassination attempt by a Palestinian terrorist group, but he was permanently paralyzed. The event triggered the 1982 Lebanon War.
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1973
The world's first supersonic airliner crashes
The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144, sometimes referred to as Concordski, disintegrated in mid-air during the 1973 Paris Air Show. 14 people died.
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1492
Martin Behaim presents the world's first globe
The German geographer called his terrestrial globe Erdapfel, or Earth Apple. It is kept in a darkened room at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.
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1986
Rafael Nadal
Spanish tennis player
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1931
Raul Castro
Cuban politician, 17th Prime Minister of Cuba
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1926
Allen Ginsberg
American poet
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1808
Jefferson Davis
American colonel, politician, President of the Confederate States of America
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1770
Manuel Belgrano
Argentinian economist, lawyer, politician
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2016
Muhammad Ali
American boxer
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2001
Anthony Quinn
Mexican/American actor, producer
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1989
Ruhollah Khomeini
Iranian religious leader, politician, 1st Supreme Leader of Iran
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1924
Franz Kafka
Czech/German writer
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1875
Georges Bizet
French composer