Rainier III marries Grace Kelly
The wedding celebrations for the Prince of Monaco and the glamorous U.S. actress were broadcast around the world and enthused the population of war-torn Europe.
The European Coal and Steel Community, a precursor of the European Union, is established
The Treaty of Paris was signed by France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Ireland becomes an independent republic
Six counties in the northern part of the island remained in the Commonwealth, leading to a decades-long ethno-nationalist conflict that culminated in The Troubles.
Construction of the current St. Peter’s Basilica begins
St. Peter’s in Vatican City is one of the world’s most important Catholic sites.
- 1973 Haile Gebrselassie
Ethiopian runner - 1971 David Tennant
Scottish actor - 1964 Niall Ferguson
Scottish historian - 1902 Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Russian/French rabbi - 1882 Leopold Stokowski
Polish/English conductor
- 2012 Dick Clark
American television host, producer, founded Productions - 2002 Thor Heyerdahl
Norwegian explorer - 1964 Ben Hecht
American screenwriter, director, producer - 1955 Albert Einstein
German/American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate - 1943 Isoroku Yamamoto
Japanese Admiral
