Buddha’s birthday celebrated by Buddhists, WPA established by Congress, League of Nations had last meeting, ceasefire signed in Sudan, Venus de Milo discovered, Times Square named, first Alzheimer’s patient dies, celebrities sell war bonds, Hank Aaron breaks home run record, Entente Cordiale signed.
Buddha is said to have been born. (564 BC) Although it is probable that Siddartha Gautama, the first Buddha, was actually born in May, many Buddhists celebrate his birthday on this day. Celebrations include participating in long sutras, somewhat like sermons; eat vegetarian food; and making offerings of kheer, a type of sweet porridge.
Congress passed the Works Progress Administration (WPA). (1935) The WPA was a central part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and employed over 8 million people until it was dismantled in 1943. The program focused primarily on public works such as roads and bridges, many of which still exist .
The League of Nations has had its last meeting. (1946) The League of Nations (LoN) was replaced almost immediately by the United Nations, which was actually created three years earlier at the Tehran conference. While the LoN was highly innovative as an international government agency at the time, it was rarely effective due to its structure and its reluctance to act.
Signed the ceasefire in Sudan. (2004) Humanitarian ceasefire agreement officially ended fighting in Darfur conflict, although splinter groups remained violent.
The Venus de Milo has been discovered. (1820) The famous marble sculpture was discovered on the island of Milos by a farmer and a French naval officer in several pieces, including parts of its now missing arms. It was acquired almost immediately by France, and presented to the king before being placed in the Louvre.
Times Square got its modern name. (1904) New York’s now famous square was originally known as Longacre Square. It was renamed Times Square after the New York Times.
First person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dies. (1906) Auguste Deter, a German woman, was the first patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She was taken to an asylum by her husband after she started showing signs of dementia, and Dr. Alois Alzheimer visited her, increasing her interest in the disease which eventually became known by her name. .
Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sold war bonds on the streets of New York. (1918) Chaplin and Fairbanks weren’t the only celebrities to lend their services to the war bonding effort. Al Jolson, Mary Pickford and Elsie Janis, all superstars of their time, made several public appearances to help bolster the war effort.
Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. (1974) Aaron, then playing for the Atlanta Braves, hit his 715th home run on this day, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record. Aaron is one of only six players to ever hit more than 600 home runs.
Great Britain and France signed an Entente Cordiale. (1904) Agreement ended nearly 1,000 years of intermittent fighting between the countries and marked the beginning of modern Anglo-French relations.
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