TODAY IN HISTORY

1951 The European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor of the European Union, is established

1949 Ireland becomes an independent republic

1906 A massive earthquake destroys San Francisco

1506 Construction of the current St. Peter's Basilica begins

BIRTHS

1973 Haile Gebrselassie – Ethiopian runner

1971 David Tennant – Scottish actor

1902 Menachem Mendel Schneerson – Russian/French rabbi

1882 Leopold Stokowski – Polish/English conductor

DEATHS

2012 Dick Clark – American television host and producer who founded Productions

2002 Thor Heyerdahl – Norwegian explorer

1964 Ben Hecht – American screenwriter, director, producer

1955 Albert Einstein – German/American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

1943 Isoroku Yamamoto – Japanese admiral

OBSERVATIONS

Adult Autism Awareness Day

International Amateur Radio Day

Newspaper Columnist Day

Pet Owners’ Independence Day

World Heritage Day