1993 One of the largest supernovas of the century is discovered by an amateur astronomer in Spain. The exploding red giant star is located 12,000,000 miles from earth.

1984 First birth from a frozen embryo Melbourne, Australia.

1979 Three Mile Island nuclear reactor has a partial meltdown.

1956 Josef Stalin is denounced by Pravda, the Communist party newspaper, for excesses committed in his later years.

1920 Hollywood legends Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. are married. They divorced in 1936.

1895 First U.S. municipal subway The city of Boston begins construction of the Tremont Street Subway. It opened to traffic in 1897.

1889 First electric-chair execution William Kemmler of New York murders his common-law wife, for which he was executed the following year.

1881 The Barnum and Bailey Circus is formed.

1845 Mexico breaks off diplomatic relations with the U.S. over the disputed territory of Texas.

1802 Second discovery of an asteroid Pallas, by German astronomer Wilhelm Olbers.

1797 First washing machine patent is issued, to Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire.

1955 Reba McEntire American country singer. Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year four years in a row.

1945 Guy Colwell cartoonist known for his realism, creator of Inner City Romance (1972).

1925 Dorothy DeBorba American actress, one of the Little Rascals (Chubby's little sister). She appeared in 24 Our Gang films.

1924 Freddie Bartholomew Frederick Llewellyn) English child actor. Film: David Copperfield (1935, Copperfield as a young boy) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936).

1914 Edmund S. Muskie American politician, former U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State.

1910 Jimmy Dodd d. 1964 (James Wesley Dodd), American actor, leader of the Mouseketeers on the Mickey Mouse Club (1955-59) and composer of the opening theme song, The Mickey Mouse March.

1907 Irving "Swifty" Lazar d. 1993 American talent agent. Clients: Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Faye Dunaway, Michael Caine, Vladimir Nabokov, Truman Capote, Pres. Nixon, Tennessee Williams, and Neil Simon. He was known for his yearly star-studded parties on Oscar Awards night.

1905 Marlin Perkins d. 1986 American zoo director, TV personality, host of Wild Kingdom for 23 years.

1899 August Anheuser Busch Jr d. 1989 American beer-company executive, built the world's largest brewery.

1842 Sgt. William Harvey Carney d. 1908 American soldier, the first black to receive the Medal of Honor (1900) for bravery in 1863. During the Civil War assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina, Carney, although wounded four times, struggled across the battlefield and retrieved the Union flag. This battle is portrayed in the film Glory (1989).

1811 John Nepomucene Neumann d. 1860 Bohemian-born American Roman Catholic Bishop (Philadelphia, 1852). He was the first American male saint (1977).

1793 Henry Rowe Schoolcraft d. 1864 American explorer, discovered the source of the Mississippi (1832).

2006 Caspar Weinberger b. 1917 American politician, secretary of health, education, and welfare (1973-75), secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan. He was indicted in the Iran-contra affair but pardoned by President George H. Bush.

1994 Eugene Ionesco b. 1912 Romanian-born playwright. Writings: The Bald Soprano (1950) and The Lesson (1950).

1987 Maria von Trapp b. 1905 Austrian-born singer, matriarch of the singing von Trapp family whose life story inspired the movie The Sound of Music.

1979 Emmett Kelly b. 1898 American circus clown, known as Weary Willie. He became the mascot for the Brooklyn Dodgers after leaving Ringling Bros.

1976 Richard Arlen b. 1900 (Richard Cornelius van Mattimore), American actor. Film: Star of the first Oscar-winning film (Wings, 1927).

1969 Dwight D. Eisenhower b. 1890 34th U.S. President (1953-61) and 5-star general. He was the first president to conduct a televised news conference.

1958 W.C. Handy b. 1873 (William Christopher Handy), American composer, musician, Father of the Blues. He composed Memphis Blues (1912) which was the first blues song published in the U.S.

1953 Jim Thorpe b. 1888 (Bright Path), American athlete, considered the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century. He played professional football and baseball, and excelled in boxing, wrestling, gymnastics, swimming, hockey, basketball, and track.

1941 Virginia Woolf b. 1882 English author, women's rights activist. Writings: Jacob's Room (1922).

1929 Katharine Lee Bates b. 1859 American poet. She wrote the words to the national hymn America the Beautiful (1911).

1868 Seventh Earl of Cardigan b. 1797 (James Thomas Brudenell), English soldier. He led the charge of the Light Brigade (1854) and for whom cardigan sweaters are named.

1828 Dr. William Thornton b. 1759 British-born American architect, physician. He designed the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (1793).

1285 Martin IV b. ???? French-born religious leader, 189th Pope (1280-85).

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