1129 people die in Bangladesh in the worst building collapse disaster in modern history
The building was used by clothing factories producing garments for western markets, highlighting the disastrous working conditions in the industry.
Joseph Ratzinger is inaugurated as Pope Benedict XVI
The German was considered a particularly conservative Pope – quite unlike his successor, Pope Francis.
The Hubble Space Telescope is launched into Earth orbit
Unhindered by the impurities and distortions of Earth’s atmosphere, the 2.4 meter (7.9 feet) aperture telescope has delivered some of the most spectacular images of the far reaches of the Universe.
The Ottoman Empire begins its systematic extermination of Armenians
An estimated 1 million people were killed in the Armenian Massacres during and after World War I. The event is considered one of the first genocides in modern history.
- 1982 Kelly Clarkson
American singer-songwriter, producer, actress - 1973 Sachin Tendulkar
Indian cricketer - 1942 Barbra Streisand
American singer-songwriter, actress, producer - 1941 Richard Holbrooke
American journalist, banker, diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to the United Nations - 1897 Benjamin Lee Whorf
American linguist
- 2011 Sathya Sai Baba
Indian guru, philosopher - 1980 Alejo Carpentier
Swiss/Cuban author - 1960 Max von Laue
German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate - 1942 Lucy Maud Montgomery
Canadian author - 1731 Daniel Defoe
English journalist, spy
