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1462

Henry Medwall, first known English vernacular dramatist (died 1501)

Henry Medwall, first known English vernacular dramatist (died 1501)

1873

Johan Gabriel Ståhlberg, Finnish priest and father of K. J. Ståhlberg, the first President of Finland (born 1832)

Johan Gabriel Ståhlberg, Finnish priest and father of K. J. Ståhlberg, the first President of Finland (born 1832)

2025

Several Russian drones incur on Polish airspace and are subsequently shot down, marking the first time a NATO member…

Several Russian drones incur on Polish airspace and are subsequently shot down, marking the first time a NATO member has engaged Russian military assets.

2009

The Dubai Metro, the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula, is ceremonially inaugurated.

The Dubai Metro, the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula, is ceremonially inaugurated.

1956

Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.

Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.

1947

First case of a computer bug being found: A moth lodges in a relay of a Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University.

First case of a computer bug being found: A moth lodges in a relay of a Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University.

1940

George Stibitz pioneers the first remote operation of a computer.

George Stibitz pioneers the first remote operation of a computer.

1850

California is admitted as the thirty-first U.S. state.

California is admitted as the thirty-first U.S. state.

1839

John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph.

John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph.

1588

Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first deliberately planned voyage of…

Thomas Cavendish in his ship Desire enters Plymouth and completes the first deliberately planned voyage of circumnavigation.

1999

The first banknotes of the Portrait Series of the Singapore dollar were introduced by the Board of Commissioners of…

The first banknotes of the Portrait Series of the Singapore dollar were introduced by the Board of Commissioners of Currency.

1957

U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights bill since…

U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights bill since Reconstruction.

2024

Polaris Dawn, the first private crewed spaceflight to involve a spacewalk, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center…

Polaris Dawn, the first private crewed spaceflight to involve a spacewalk, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

1960

At the Summer Olympics in Rome, Abebe Bikila becomes the first sub-Saharan African to win a gold medal, winning the…

At the Summer Olympics in Rome, Abebe Bikila becomes the first sub-Saharan African to win a gold medal, winning the marathon in bare feet.

1936

The first world individual Speedway World Championship was held at London's Wembley Stadium.

The first world individual Speedway World Championship was held at London's Wembley Stadium.

1724

Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, a chorale cantata based on a…

Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of Jesu, der du meine Seele, BWV 78, a chorale cantata based on a passion hymn by Johann Rist.

1607

Edward Maria Wingfield is ousted as first president of the governing council of the Colony of Virginia; he is replaced…

Edward Maria Wingfield is ousted as first president of the governing council of the Colony of Virginia; he is replaced by John Ratcliffe.

1089

The first synod of pope Urban II starts in Melfi, with seventy bishops and twelve abbots in attendance. The synod…

The first synod of pope Urban II starts in Melfi, with seventy bishops and twelve abbots in attendance. The synod issues several decrees about church law and deals with the relation with the Greek par�

1842

Letitia Christian Tyler, American wife of John Tyler, 11th First Lady of the United States (born 1790)

Letitia Christian Tyler, American wife of John Tyler, 11th First Lady of the United States (born 1790)

210 BC

Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China (born 259 BC)

Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China (born 259 BC)