1152
Politics
Eleanor of Aquitaine Marries Henry II
Eleanor of Aquitaine, recently divorced from King Louis VII of France, married Henry Plantagenet. When Henry became King of England, Eleanor became the most powerful woman in Europe.
On This Day in History
1652
Civil Rights
Rhode Island Passes First Anti-Slavery Law in North America
Rhode Island passed a law limiting the term of indentured servitude to ten years. It was one of the first legislative attempts to restrict slavery in the American colonies.
1804
Politics
Napoleon Bonaparte Proclaimed Emperor
The French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of the French. His coronation ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral in December would be immortalized by the painter Jacques-Louis David.
1860
Politics
Abraham Lincoln Nominated for President
The Republican National Convention nominated Abraham Lincoln for President in Chicago. Lincoln was a dark-horse candidate who defeated better-known rivals.
1927
Disaster
Bath School Disaster
Andrew Kehoe detonated explosives at the Bath Consolidated School in Michigan, killing 38 children and 6 adults. It remains the deadliest school massacre in American history.
1980
Disaster
Mount St. Helens Erupts
Mount St. Helens in Washington State erupted catastrophically, killing 57 people and devastating 230 square miles. The lateral blast was the deadliest volcanic event in U.S. history.
1991
Space
Helen Sharman Becomes First British Astronaut
Helen Sharman launched aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft to the Mir space station. She became the first Briton in space and the first woman to visit Mir.