This Day in History...
During a performance of William Shakespeare's Henry VIII on this day in 1613, the Globe Theatre was destroyed within an hour after its thatch was accidentally set aflame by a cannon marking the king's entrance onstage.
Historic Events:
- French mariner Jacques Cartier discovered Prince Edward Island off the coast of what is now Canada. (1534)
- Townshend Acts: British imposed import duties on paper, tea and other items shipped to America; led to Boston Massacre (1767)
- Following a year of war with the Ottoman Empire, members of the victorious Balkan League quarreled over the division of the conquered territories, resulting in the Second Balkan War when Bulgaria attacked Greek and Serbian forces in Macedonia this night. (1913)
- The Supreme Court ruled in Furman v. Georgia that the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual" prompting some states to revise their laws. (1972)
- Atlantis: space shuttle docked with Russian space station Mir, forming largest man-made satellite to orbit Earth (1995)
Today's Birthday:
Born this day in 1945 was Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, a member of a prominent Sri Lankan political family who became prime minister and then president in 1994—the first woman to serve as the country's president.
Other Notables:
- Helen Hokinson: cartoonist of middle-aged matrons for The New Yorker. (1893)
- Richard Lewis (60):Standup comedians are famous for their neuroses, but Richard Lewis takes anxiety to a new level. On-stage, he energetically frets and overanalyses the most personal aspects of his life and wallows in his low self-esteem until the audience convulses with sympathetic laughter.
- Robert Evans (77): renowned film producer. He is known for works like Rosemary's Baby , Chinatown , The Godfather and many more.