The US Air Force denies that the Roswell incident involved alien bodies, while controversy and conspiracy theories continue. John Cabot saw North America in 1497, possibly Canada or Newfoundland. Germans in 1374 experienced St. John’s Dance, possibly caused by a poisonous mushroom. The Humber Bridge, once the longest suspension bridge, opened in 1981. O Canada was first performed in 1880 and became the national anthem in 1980. Picasso held his first major exhibition in 1901. President Grover Cleveland died in 1908. New York State declared capital punishment unconstitutional in 2004. Jack Dempsey was born in 1895, while Jackie Gleason died in 1987. Roy O. Disney was born in 1893, and Ambrose Bierce was born in 1842.
The US Air Force has insisted that the alien bodies people saw near Roswell were mannequins. (1997) In 1947, witnesses claimed to have seen an alien plane crash near Roswell, New Mexico. The government claimed it was a wreck of a surveillance balloon project called “Mogul”. The controversies and conspiracy theories about what really collapsed continue to this day.
European explorer John Cabot became the first European to record seeing North America. (1497) The Italian navigator Giovanni Caboto, called John Cabot by the English, probably saw what is now Canada during his explorations. While this is generally accepted, the Canadian and British governments claim that he has seen Newfoundland.
Stricken with sudden illness, Germans on the streets of Aachen, Germany hallucinated and began jumping, twisting and writhing until they fell over from exhaustion. (1374) It was one of the earliest known examples of St. John’s Dance. Epidemics have been experienced by thousands of people over the centuries. The disease may have been caused by a poisonous mushroom, but scientists have never reached a conclusive cause.
The first widely witnessed UFO sighting has been recorded. (1947) Kenneth Arnold reported at Mount Rainier in Washington state. He claimed nine pie-shaped objects were teetering in a chain near Mount Rainier. The US Air Force said the sighting was a mirage.
The longest suspension bridge in the world opens. (1981) The Humber Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world for its first 17 years. It is 4,626 feet (1,410 meters) long. It has since dropped to fifth place: Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world at 6,532 feet (1,991 meters).
The song O Canada was performed for the first time. (1880) Was performed at the Congres national des Canadiens-Francais and would become Canada’s national anthem 100 years later in 1980 with the passage of the National Anthem Act.
Picasso held his first major exhibition. (1901) The exhibition opens on a street in Paris, rue Lafitte. Picasso was only 19 and completely unknown, but he had already painted hundreds of works. He first exhibited his work when he was 13 and promptly dropped out of art school to experiment on his own.
US President Grover Cleveland has died. (1908) President Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, the only US president elected to non-consecutive terms. He died at the age of 71 of a heart attack.
New York State has declared capital punishment unconstitutional. (2004) All sentences of death row inmates were commuted to life sentences and death row was removed in 2008. The first U.S. state to ban the death penalty was Michigan in 1846.
American boxer Jack Dempsey is born. (1895) From 1919 to 1926, Dempsey was the American heavyweight boxing champion of the world. In 83 fights, he had 66 wins, 51 of which were by knockout.
American actor Jackie Gleason has died. (1987) Perhaps best known for his role as Ralph Kramden in the American television shoe The Honeymooners, Gleason also starred in several films, including his role as the Minnesota Fats in The Hustler, with Paul Newman. He was 71 years old.
Roy O. Disney was born. (1893) Disney co-founded the Walt Disney Company with his brother Walt.
American writer Ambrose Bierce is born. (1842) Bierce was perhaps best known for his satirical play The Devil’s Dictionary. He disappeared in 1914 on a trip to Mexico and was never seen again.
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