1412: Joan of Arc is born, the national heroine of France and a saint of the Catholic Church, who played a decisive role in the outcome of the Hundred Years’ War in France’s favour. She was later executed by burning at the stake, accused of heresy.
1745: French aviation pioneer Jacques Montgolfier is born.
1822: German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann is born. He later uncovered the ruins of Troy and went on to discover the palaces of Mycenae and the tombs of the Atreidae.
1838: Samuel Morse demonstrates the electric telegraph for the first time.
1883: Lebanese poet, writer and painter Kahlil Gibran is born.
1884: Gregor Mendel dies. The Czech monk discovered the fundamental laws of inheritance.
1907: Italian educator Maria Montessori opens her first school in Rome.
1936: Porky Pig, the famous Warner Brothers cartoon character, makes his debut.
1941: US President Franklin Roosevelt addresses Congress, affirming his support for freedom of speech and religion and declaring that every person has the right to live free from want and fear.
1946: Syd Barrett is born, singer, guitarist and for a period a member of Pink Floyd.
1948: The US National Security Council concludes that the Greek armed forces have failed in their attempt to defeat communist forces.
1954: Film director and screenwriter Anthony Minghella is born. He won an Academy Award in 1997 for The English Patient.
1955: British actor Rowan Atkinson is born, widely known for his role as Mr Bean.
1969: Cyprus President Archbishop Makarios takes part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in London.
1973: A Neolithic settlement of great archaeological value is discovered in Trikala.
1980: In India, Indira Gandhi secures a parliamentary majority in the general election.
1993: Renowned jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie dies.
2001: The US Supreme Court declares George W. Bush the winner of the 2000 US presidential election.
2002: Andreas Frangias, writer and journalist, dies.
2004: Kostas Simitis announces his resignation from the leadership of PASOK.
2008: Alekos Michailidis, Cypriot politician, dies.
2009: Singer Maria Dimitriadi dies.
2015: At 11:20 in the morning, gunmen storm the offices of the weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, opening fire on staff. Twelve people are killed and many others injured.
This article was originally published on Polignosi.