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Queen Elizabeth II became the oldest sovereign in the UK, the International Court of Arbitration was established, the Union won its first battle, Jack Kil applied for a patent for the integrated circuit, the Polish Round Table talks began, the first group of freed slaves set out for West Africa, a woman claiming to be Anastasia arrived in America, the first rail charter was granted in America, Singapore was founded, and Bob Marley was born.
Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom. (1952) Elizabeth was in Kenya when she received news of her father’s death. She went on to replace Victoria as Britain’s oldest sovereign. She is one of the longest serving British monarchs in history.
The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague was established. (1900) The Hague Tribunal is one of the world’s leading global courts. The court was created as one of the provisions of the 1899 Hague Peace Conference and has arbitrated on matters ranging from maritime boundaries to human rights issues.
The Union won its first battle. (1862) Ulysses S. Grant won the Battle of Fort Henry on this day, giving the Union its first victory of the war. Prior to Grant’s victory, there were real fears that Confederate forces would win the war within months.
Jack Kil applied for a patent for the integrated circuit. (1959) The integrated circuit became the basis of all modern computers, cell phones and many other electronic objects.
Roundtable talks have started in Poland. (1989) The Polish Round Table resulted in the Round Table Agreement, which was one of the first steps away from communism in Eastern Europe. Among other things, the Round Table Agreement legalized independent trade unions and also introduced the office of President into the government, replacing the Communist Party secretary.
The first group of freed slaves set out for West Africa. (1820) Slaves eventually founded the nation of Liberia, largely due to the influence of the American Colonization Society. The trip was also funded in part by the United States Congress as part of an effort to return illegally imported slaves to Africa. The importation of slaves into America had been banned a few years earlier.
Anastasia arrived in America. (1928) A woman claiming to be Anastasia, the daughter of the deposed Tsar of Russia, arrived in New York on this day and immediately held a press conference to announce her identity. She has been feted and treated like a celebrity, despite her many holes in her story. Scientists later performed a DNA analysis in 1994 which proved that she was not Anastasia, or even related to her family.
The first rail charter was granted in America. (1815) Charter granted to John Stevens for the New Jersey Railroad Company, one of the first railroads in the United States. This line would become the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company which remains a heavily used railroad in New England.
Singapore was founded. (1819) Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, a British statesman, founded Singapore on this day after lengthy negotiations with the surrounding Malay tribes. It became a major British stronghold in the area and later grew into a prosperous metropolis.
Reggae musician Bob Marley was born. (1945) Marley was a hugely influential musician, bringing reggae to the mainstream in America. He was also a symbol of black pride and Rastafarianism to many of his fans, and gained a significant following before his death from cancer in 1981.
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