[The life span of the American dollar bill is estimated at 21 months, during which time it accrues a great deal of cocaine, ends up in more than one g-string, and generally makes itself ubiquitous; given that, maybe Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington upon it should be replaced by one of William Jefferson Clinton.]
1415 - Jan Hus, a philosopher and theologian whose works were later studied and adapted by Protestants, was burned at the stake in Prague; in retaliation his followers, known as Hussites, started what is known as the Hussite Wars (since starting a war is what Jesus would have done.) This day is commemorated as a holiday in the Czech Republic.
1483 - Richard III was crowned king of England.
1535 - Sir Thomas More was executed for committing acts of treason against England's King Henry VIII.
1573 - Córdoba, Argentina was founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.
1785 - The dollar was unanimously chosen by Congress as the unit of currency for the United States.
1854 - The first convention of the Republican Party was held, in Jackson, Michigan, giving Satan a little something to smile about.
1887 - David Kalakaua, hereditary King of Hawai'i, was forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution at gunpoint; the document ceded more power to the occupiers of Hawaii while stripping native Hawai'ians of rights.
1892 - Dadabhai Naoroji became the first Indian ever elected to serve in the British Parliament.
1919 - The British dirigible R34 landed near New York City following a 108-hour flight, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by air.
1933 - The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played, in Chicago's Comiskey Park, in which the American League defeated the National League, 4 to 2.
1942 - Anne Frank and her family were forced into hiding, events vividly described in her book The Diary of a Young Girl.
1944 - The Hartford Circus Fire killed approximately 168 and injured more than 700; among those spared, of course, was Charles Nelson Reilly, who later recounted his experience on stage.
1957 - John Lennon met Paul McCartney.
1964 - Malawi declared its independence from the United Kingdom.
1966 - Malawi became a republic; Hastings Banda served as the country's first President.
1975 - The Comoros declared their independence from France.
1978 - A fire broke out on England's Penzance to Paddington overnight train, killing twelve people.
1998 - Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport was closed when the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok became operational.
2000 - 16 year-old Euan Blair, son of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and [redacted] Cherie Booth Blair, was arrested for being drunk and disorderly in London's Leicester Square.
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