1993 Cross of Jesus Two small slivers of olive wood that are claimed to be from Jesus's cross are auctioned for $18,587. One of the slivers had been authenticated by the Vatican in 1855.

1975 Mayaguez The U.S. merchant ship is captured by Cambodia and charged with spying.

1950 Civil Rights The American Bowling Congress ends its 34-year-old ban of membership to blacks.

1937 First worldwide radio broadcast The coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth is broadcast by the BBC.

1936 A Chinese woman delivers 10 babies Tying the record for the highest number reported for a single birth.

1932 Lindbergh kidnapping Charles Lindbergh's 20-month-old son is found dead after having been kidnapped two months earlier.

1913 Virgin Mary The mother of Christ appears to the shepherd children of Fatima. Thousands now make the yearly pilgrimage to receive healing and blessings.

1896 Spitting The New York City Department of Health passes the first ban in the U.S. on spitting in public places.

1861 The Battle Hymn of the Republic Julia Ward Howe's song is performed for the first time at a flag-raising ceremony for Union recruits at Fort Warren near Boston.

1969 Kim Fields American actress. TV: The Facts of Life (Tootie).

1962 Emilio Estevez American actor. Film: Repo Man (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and Young Guns (1988).

1950 Bruce Boxleitner American actor. TV: The Scarecrow and Mrs. King (Lee Stetson).

1950 Billy Squier American singer. Music: Don't Say No (1981).

1948 Steve Winwood British Grammy-winning singer, songwriter. Music: Back in the High Life (1986) and Higher Love (1986, #1, Grammy).

1937 George Carlin d. 2008 American Grammy-winning comedian. Albums: Class Clown (1972, which contained the classic George Carlin: Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television). TV: George Carlin.

1936 Tom Snyder American talk show host.

1928 Burt Bacharach American Oscar-winning composer. Music: Magic Moments (1958), What's New Pussycat? (1965), Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (1968), Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1969, Oscar, Grammy), Close To You (1970), and Arthur's Theme (1981, Oscar).

1925 Yogi Berra (Lawrence Peter Berra), American baseball Hall of Famer, MVP (1951, 54-55). His famous quotes include: "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" and "If the people don't want to come to the park, nobody's going to stop 'em."

1918 Julius Rosenberg d. 1953 American traitor. He and his wife Ethel became the first U.S. citizens executed for treason during peace time. They had been convicted of selling top secret information to the Soviets.

1907 Katharine Hepburn d. 2003 American Oscar-Emmy-winning actress. Film: Morning Glory (1933, Oscar), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The African Queen (1951), and On Golden Pond (1981, Oscar). She teamed with Spencer Tracy for numerous films.

1880 Lincoln Ellsworth d. 1951 American explorer. He led the first trans-arctic flights (1926) and the first trans-antarctic flights (1935).

1866 Max Adler d. 1952 American philanthropist. He donated the first U.S. public planetarium, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomical Museum, to the city of Chicago. Source: Famous First Facts

1820 Florence Nightingale d. 1910 English nurse and hospital reformer. She contributed greatly to the development of modern hospital practices and the nursing profession.

1812 Edward Lear d. 1888 English artist, author. Writings: Book of Nonsense (1846), which was responsible for popularizing limericks.

1803 Justus von Liebig d. 1873 German organic chemist. His work in replacing soil minerals laid the foundation for modern fertilization.

2001 Perry Como b. 1912 (Pierino Como), American singer, Emmy-winning TV personality. Music: Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (1952, #1) and It's Impossible (1970).

1994 Roy J. Plunkett b. 1910 American chemist, inventor of Teflon (1938). He was working with refrigerant gases when he and his co-workers discovered that the sample had polymerized spontaneously into a white, waxy solid to form polytetrafluoroethylene.

1992 Robert Reed b. 1932 (John Robert Rietz), American actor. TV: The Brady Bunch (father Mike Brady). He died of AIDS.

1957 Erich Von Stroheim b. 1885 (Erich Oswald Stroheim), German-born actor, director. He was billed as "The Man You Love to Hate."

1012 Sergius IV b. ???? Italian religious leader, 142nd Pope (1009-12).

1003 Sylvester II b. circa 945 (Gerbert), religious leader, 139th Pope (999-1003). He introduced the abacus to Europe.

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