In 161, the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius died, and for the first time in the empire’s history, co-emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus assumed power jointly, beginning an unprecedented political arrangement.
In 1530, Pope Clement VII rejected King Henry VIII’s request for a divorce, paving the way for England’s separation from the Catholic Church.
In 1774, King George III accused the Boston colonists of harming British commerce, resulting in the closure of the port as punishment for the Boston Tea Party.
In 1814, Napoleon I won the Battle of Craonne, defeating combined Russian and Prussian forces in northern France during the Napoleonic Wars.
In 1857 the rules of baseball were revised so that games would consist of nine innings, rather than being decided by the team scoring the first nine runs.
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was granted a US patent for the telephone, which revolutionized global communications.
In 1896, W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s 14th and final collaborative comic opera, The Grand Duke, premiered at London’s Savoy Theatre.
In 1911, the United States deployed 20,000 troops to the Mexican border amid rising tensions during the Mexican Revolution.
In 1917, the Original Dixieland Jass Band released the first jazz records on 78 rpm discs for the Victor Talking Machine Company, including Dixie Jazz Band One Step and Livery Stable Blues.
In 1929, Noel Wien and Calvin Cripe of Wien Air Alaska completed the first nonstop flight from the Americas to Asia, crossing the Bering Strait from Nome to North Cape.
In 1936, Adolf Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by ordering German troops to enter the demilitarized Rhineland, a key step toward World War II.
In 1940, Peter Sauer, competing under the name Ray Steele, won the National Wrestling Association Heavyweight Championship by defeating Bronko Nagurski in St. Louis.
In 1950, Dick Button of the United States won the men’s figure skating world championship in London, solidifying his dominance in the sport.
In 1953, South African opener Jackie McGlew made an unbeaten 255 to lead his team to victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
In 1955, the musical Peter Pan starring Mary Martin was broadcast live on NBC as part of the Producers’ Showcase series, attracting a record 65 million viewers.
