This Day In History
1747- Astronomer James Bradley presents his discovery of the wobbling motion of the Earth on its axis to the Royal Society, London
1794- 1st US textile machinery patent granted, to James Davenport, Philadelphia
1797- Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British fleet under Admiral Sir John Jervis defeats larger Spanish fleet under Admiral Don José de Córdoba y Ramos near Cape St. Vincent, Portugal. Captain Horatio Nelson distinguishes himself.
1803- Apple parer patented by Moses Coats, Downington, Pennsylvania
1803- Chief Justice John Marshall declares that any act of U.S. Congress that conflicts with the Constitution is void
1804- Karadjordje leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire
1831- Ras Marye of Yejju marches into Tigray and defeats and kills Dejazmach Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay
1849- In New York City, James Knox Polk becomes first serving US President to have his photograph taken (by Matthew Brady).
1876- Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray apply separately for telephone patents, the Supreme Court eventually rules Bell the rightful inventor 1879- Chilean troops occupy Antofagasta
1894- Venus is both a morning star & evening star 1896- Austro-Hungarian Zionist Theodor Herzl publishes "Der Judenstaat" (The Jewish State), encouraging Jews to purchase land in Palestine 1896- George Lohmann takes a hat-trick for England v South Africa, 8-7 for inning - their lowest ever
1900 - Russia responds to international pressure to free Finland by tightening imperial control over the country.
1914 - High Council of Labor forms in Hague Netherlands.
1918 - USSR adopts New Style (Gregorian) calendar (originally Feb 1).
1919 - The Polish-Soviet War begins.
1925 - State of emergency crisis in Bavaria ends, NSDAP re-allowed.
1941 - German Afrika Korps lands in Tripoli, Libya. 1942 - WWII: Battle of Pasir Panjang contributes to the fall of Singapore.
1943 - German offensive through de Faid-pass Tunisia
1943 - Soviets recapture Rostov
1943 - World War II: Rostov-on-Don, Russia is liberated.
1944 - Anti-Japanese revolt on Java.
1945 - Second day of the bombing of Dresden by Allies air forces.
1945 - Peru, Paraguay, Chile & Ecuador joins UN. 1945 - World War II: Prague is bombed probably due to a mistake in the orientation of the pilots bombing Dresden.
1945 - World War II: Mostar is liberated by Yugoslav partisans.
1950 - USSR & China sign peace treaty.
1956 - Indonesia withdraws from Neth Indonesian Union.
1958 - Arab Federation of Iraq & Jordan forms. 1960 - Marshal Ayub Khan elected president of Pakistan.
1963 - US launches communications satellite Syncom 1.
1966 - Australian currency is decimalised, and decimal currency postage stamps introduced.
1971 - Richard Nixon installs secret taping system in White House.
1971 - Tehran agreement signed; oil companies accept 55 percent tax rate, immediate increase in posted prices, and further successive increases. 1972 - Luna 20 (Russia) launched to orbit & soft landing on Moon.
1979 - In Kabul, Muslims kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
1980 -US launches Solar Maximum Mission Observatory to study solar flares.