1994 Eurotunnel The first tunnel to connect Britain and France holds its formal opening ceremonies. Round-trip prices ranged from $195 to $465.

1994 Bobcat Goldthwait The comedian sets his chair on fire during his interview with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.

1992 MI6 Britain acknowledges the existence of its secret MI6 intelligence service and its chief Sir Colin McColl, known as 'C.'

1964 Longest major-league home run during a regular-season game 573 feet by Dave Nicholson for the Chicago White Sox. Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1954 Four-minute mile British runner Roger Bannister becomes the first person to run a four-minute mile.

1941 Bob Hope The legendary comedian gives his first USO performance.  It was at March Field in California.

1937 The Hindenburg disaster The giant airship explodes and burns killing 36 people while preparing to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey.

1896 First flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine Prof. Samuel P. Langley flies his steam-powered Aerodrome over the Potomac River.

1861 Confederate Act recognizing the state of war between the United States and the Confederacy.

1861 Civil War Arkansas becomes the 9th state to secede from the Union.

1835 First issue of The New York Herald James Gordon Bennett begins publishing his paper from a Wall Street basement.

1626 Manhattan The island is purchased from the Indians by Peter Minuit (for the Dutch) for $24 worth of cloth, buttons and trinkets.

1945 Bob Seger (Robert Clark Seger), American rock singer.

1931 Willie Mays American Baseball Hall-of-Famer, "The Say Hey Kid."

1915 Theodore H. White American Pulitzer-Emmy winning author. Writings: The Making of the President, 1960 (1961, Pulitzer).

1915 Orson Welles d. 1985 American actor, director, producer, panicked the nation with his radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds (October 30, 1938). He was also the voice of radio's The Shadow and directed the film classic Citizen Kane (1941).

1913 Stewart Granger d. 1993 (James Leblanche Stewart), British-born American actor. Film: King Solomon's Mines (1950), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), and The Last Safari (1967).

1904 Raymond Bailey d. 1980 American actor. TV: The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-71, Milburn Drysdale).

1895 Rudolph Valentino d. 1926 (Rudolfo Guglielmi), Italian actor, The Sheik (1921). He was arrested for blackmail in 1916 and again for marrying his second wife before his divorce became final.

1856 Sigmund Freud d. 1939 Austrian psychiatrist, founder of psychoanalysis, defined the "Oedipus complex." When asked about his cigar smoking he replied "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

1856 Robert Edwin Peary d. 1920 American Arctic explorer. He was the first to reach the North Pole.

1740 John Penn d. 1788 American lawyer, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

1574 Innocent X d. 1655 Italian religious leader, 236th Pope (1644-55). He formally condemned Jansenism (1653).

1992 Marlene Dietrich b. 1901 (Maria Magdalene Dietrich), German-born American actress, singer. Film: The Blue Angel (1930). She was awarded the Medal of Freedom for her efforts during World War II.

1987 William Joseph Casey b. 1913 CIA director (1981-87).

1979 Milton Ager b. 1893 American composer. Music: Ain't She Sweet and Happy Days Are Here Again.

1952 Maria Montessori b. 1870 Italian educator. She created the world-famous Montessori system of teaching children. She was also the first woman in Italy to obtain a medical degree (1894).

1919 Frank Baum b. 1856 American author. Writings: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

1910 Edward VII b. 1841 (Albert Edward), King of England and Ireland (1901-10).

1870 Sir James Young Simpson b. 1811 Scottish obstetrician. He developed the use of anesthesia.

1862 Henry David Thoreau b. 1817 American poet, philosopher.

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