Events 54 - Roman Empire emperor Claudius I dies after being poisoned by Agrippina, his wife. 1307 - All Knights Templar in France are simultaneously arrested by agents of Phillip the Fair, to be later tortured into "admitting" heresy. 1775 - The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy). 1792 - In Washington, DC, the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion (known as the White House since 1818) is laid. 1812 - War of 1812: Battle of Queenston Heights - On the Niagara frontier in Ontario, Canada, United States forces under General Stephen Van Rensselaerof are repulsed from invading Canada by British and native troops led by Sir Isaac Brock. 1843 - In New York City, Henry Jones and 11 others found B'nai B'rith (the oldest Jewish service organization in the world). 1845 - A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that if accepted by the United States Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state. 1936 - The Jarrow March sets off for London. 1943 - World War II: The new government of Italy sides with the Allies and declares war on Germany. 1946 - France adopts the constitution of the Fourth Republic. 1960 - 1960 World Series: Baseballer Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run. 1962 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf opens on Broadway. 1972 - An Aeroflot Ilyushin-62 crashed outside Moscow killing 176 1976 - A Bolivian Boeing 707 cargo jet crashes in Santa Cruz, Bolivia killing 100 (97, mostly children killed on the ground) 1977 - Four Palestinians hijack a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Somalia and demand release of 11 members of the Red Army Faction. 1999 - The United States Senate rejects ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). 2003 - The Public Library of Science commences publication of an open-access scientific journal, PLoS Biology. Births 1821 - Rudolf Virchow, German doctor, pathologist, biologist, and politician († 1902) 1853 - Lillie Langtry, actress 1876 - Rube Waddell, baseball star († 1914) 1909 - Art Tatum, jazz pianist (†1956) 1909 - Herbert Block ("Herblock"), editorial cartoonist (†2001) 1910 - Ernest McGann, author († 1991) 1915 - Cornel Wilde, actor († 1989) 1917 - Burr Tillstrom, puppeteer 1918 - Robert Walker, actor († 1951) 1921 - Yves Montand, singer, actor († 1991) 1924 - Nipsey Russell, comedian, actor, television personality 1925 - Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1925 - Lenny Bruce, comedian († 1966) 1931 - Eddie Matthews, Baseball Hall of Fame 1938 - Hugo Young, journalist († [[2003) 1940 - Pharoah Sanders, jazz saxophonist 1941 - Paul Simon, musician 1942 - Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys 1947 - Sammy Hagar, singer 1953 - Pat Day, jockey 1959 - Marie Osmond, singer, actress, television host 1962 - Jerry Rice, American football star 1969 - Nancy Kerrigan, figure skater 1980 - Ashanti, pop music artist, USA 1982 - Ian Thorpe, swimmer Deaths 54 - Claudius, Roman emperor 1812 - General Sir Isaac Brock, killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights 1917 - Florence La Badie, pioneer actress 1966 - Clifton Webb, actor 1968 - Bea Benaderet, actress 1974 - Ed Sullivan, television host 1990 - Le Duc Tho, Nobel Peace Prize recipient (born 1911) 2002 - Stephen Ambrose, historian and Dwight Eisenhower biographer. Holidays Roman Empire - festival dedicated to Fontus See Also: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
October 12 - October 14 - September 13 - November 13 - more historical anniversaries