The world’s largest suspension bridge opens to traffic
The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan features the world’s longest central span, measuring 1991 meters (6532 feet).
A bomb kills 3 people at the La Belle in West Berlin
The attack on the nightclub, which was frequented by U.S. soldiers, was later blamed on the Libyan secret service. In retaliatory strikes, at least 15 people were killed in Libya.
Winston Churchill resigns as U.K. Prime Minister
Churchill was instrumental in initiating the alliance between the U.K., the U.S., and the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. His political career spanned half a century.
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death
The U.S. couple was accused of passing information about nuclear weapons on to the Soviet Union. It later emerged that Ethel was not involved in her husband’s activities. Both were executed in 1953.
- 1937 Colin Powell
American general, politician, 65th United States Secretary of State - 1917 Robert Bloch
American author - 1912 John Le Mesurier
English actor - 1908 Bette Davis
American actress - 1900 Spencer Tracy
American actor
- 1997 Allen Ginsberg
American poet - 1994 Kurt Cobain
American singer-songwriter, guitarist - 1976 Howard Hughes
American engineer, director - 1975 Chiang Kai-shek
Chinese military leader, politician, President of the Republic of China - 1928 Roy Kilner
English cricketer