(L-R) Catherine II, Queen Victoria, and Archduke Franz Ferdinand
(Public Domain Photos)
Reprinted By Permission From OnThisDay.com
Today in History in 1762 Russian tsarina Catherine II seized power, declaring herself Catherine II, the sovereign ruler of Russia; in 1838 the Coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey in London; and in 1914 Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by a young Serbian nationalist which led to declarations of war in WWI.
Our on this day in history archives contain over 200,000 events, birthdays and deaths from 6,000 years of history. Here is a roundup of a few of them:
Historical Events
1762 - Russian tsarina Catherine II seizes power, declaring herself Catherine II, the sovereign ruler of Russia
1838 - Coronation of Queen Victoria in Westminster Abbey, London
1880 - Ned Kelly the Australian bushranger captured at Glenrowan.
1914 - Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his wife Sophie are assassinated in Sarajevo by young Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip at 10.45, the casus belli of WWI
1919 - Treaty of Versailles, ending WW I and establishing the League of Nations, is signed in France
1935 - FDR orders a federal gold vault to be built at Fort Knox, Kentucky
1951 - "Amos 'n' Andy" premieres on CBS TV
1965 - 1st US ground combat forces in Vietnam authorized by President Lyndon B. Johnson
1982 - Prince Charles & Lady Diana name their baby "William"
2003 - "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", directed by Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightley and Orlando Bloom, premieres at Disneyland
Famous Birthdays
1491 - Henry VIII, King of England (1509-47)
1703 - John Wesley, Epworth, Lincolnshire, English Christian theologian and co-founder of the Methodist movement
1902 - Richard Rodgers, Hammels Station NY, composer (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
1926 - Mel Brooks, New York City, American actor and director (Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs)
1946 - Gilda Radner, actress (SNL, Haunted Honeymoon), born in Detroit, Michigan
1948 - Kathy Bates, academy award winning actress (Misery), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1960 - John Elway, Port Angeles Washignton, NFL quarterback (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 32/33)
1966 - John Cusack, actor (Stand By Me, Sure Thing, Better Off Dead), born in Chicago, Illinois
1966 - Mary Stuart Masterson, actress (Some Kind of Wonderful), born in Houston, Texas
Famous Weddings
1919 - 33rd US president Harry Truman (35) weds Elizabeth Truman (34) in Independence
1986 - CBS news correspondent Mike Wallace (68) weds Mary Yates
1991 - Explorer Jacques Cousteau (81) weds Francine Triplet in Paris
1992 - US President Bush's daughter Dorothy marries Bobby Koch
2000 - Business magnate Ron Perelman (69) weds actress Ellen Barkin (46) in a traditional Jewish ceremony at an upper East Side synagogue
2003 - Colombian American actor John Leguizamo (42) weds estate planner Justine Maurer (35) on a Catholic-Jewish ceremony in New York
2008 - "Saturday Night Live" actor-comedian Chris Kattan (37) weds model Sunshine Tutt (31) at Chateau Du Sureau in Yosemite, California
2008 - Golfing legend Greg Norman (53) weds former tennis star Chris Evert (53) in Paradise Island, Bahamas
2013 - Writer Josh Kilmer-Purcell (43) weds physician Brent Ridge in Sharon Springs, New York
2014 - Socialite and actress Olivia Palermo (28) weds model Johannes Huebl in Bedford, New York
Famous Divorces
2010 - Academy award winning actress Sandra Bullock (45) divorces "Monster Garage" host Jesse James (40) due to conflict of personalities after nearly 5 years of marriage
2012 - "Spy Kids" actress Alexa Vega (23) divorces film producer Sean Covel (36) due to irreconcilable differences after less than two years of marriage
Famous Deaths
1914 - Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria is assassinated in Sarajevo by young Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, led to declarations of war in WWI
1975 - Rod Serling, writer/host (Twilight Zone, Night Gallery), dies at 50
2009 - Fred Travalena, American comedian and impressionist (b. 1942)
2010 - Robert Byrd, American politician (b. 1917)
2014 - Meshach Taylor, American actor, dies from colorectal cancer at 67
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