today.nukz.net: Almanac April 21 :: Catherine the Great

Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Yekaterina II Velikaya; German: Katharina die Große), Empress of Russia, was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 9 July [O.S. 28 June] 1762 until her death on 17 November [O.S. 6 November] 1796. She was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on 2 May [O.S. 21 April] 1729 as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, and came to power following a coup d'état and the assassination of her husband, Peter III, at the end of the Seven Years' War. Russia was revitalized under her reign, growing larger and stronger than ever and becoming recognized as one of the great powers of Europe.

The period of Catherine the Great's rule, the Catherinian Era, is often considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire and the Russian nobility. The Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility, issued during the short reign of Peter III and confirmed by Catherine, freed Russian nobles from compulsory military or state service. Construction of many mansions of the nobility, in the classical style endorsed by the Empress, changed the face of the country. A notable example of enlightened despot, a correspondent of Voltaire and an amateur opera librettist, Catherine presided over the age of the Russian Enlightenment, when the Smolny Institute, the first state-financed higher education institution for women in Europe, was established.

Events

753 BC – Romulus and Remus founded Rome (traditional date).
43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.
900 – The Laguna Copperplate Inscription: the Honourable Namwaran and his children, Lady Angkatan and Bukah, are granted pardon from all their debts by the Commander in chief of Tundun, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pailah. Luzon, Philippines.
1509 – Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII.
1792 – Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered.
1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl.
1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto – Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
1863 – Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, declares his mission as "He whom God shall make manifest".
1894 – Norway formally adopts the Krag-Jørgensen rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years.
1918 – World War I: German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France.
1922 – The first Aggie Muster is held as a remembrance for fellow Texas A&M graduates who had died in the previous year.
1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail (in 1999, it is revealed to be a hoax).
1941 – Emmanouil Tsouderos becomes the 132nd Prime Minister of Greece.
1942 – World War II: The most famous (and first international) Aggie Muster is held on the Philippine island of Corregidor, by Brigadier General George F. Moore (with 25 fellow Texas A&M graduates who are under his command), while 1.8 million pounds of shells pounded the island over a 5 hour attack.
1945 – World War II: Soviet Union forces south of Berlin at Zossen attack the German High Command headquarters.
1952 – Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.
1960 – Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 9:30 am the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro.
1960 – Founding of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith in Washington, D.C.
1962 – The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II.
1963 – The Universal House of Justice of the Bahá'í Faith is elected for the first time.
1964 – A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, 2.1 pounds (0.95 kg) of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
1965 – The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.
1966 – Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day.
1967 – Greek military junta of 1967–1974: A few days before the general election in Greece, Colonel George Papadopoulos leads a coup d'état, establishing a military regime that lasts for seven years.
1970 – The Hutt River Province Principality secedes from Australia.
1975 – Vietnam War: President of South Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu flees Saigon, as Xuan Loc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls.
1982 – Baseball: Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves.
1987 – The Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that explodes in the Sri Lankan city of Colombo, killing 106 people.
1989 – Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.
1993 – The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis Garcia Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
1994 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomer Alexander Wolszczan.
2004 – Five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.

Births

1555 – Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter (d. 1619)
1651 – Blessed Joseph Vaz, Apostle of Ceylon (d. 1711)
1652 – Michel Rolle, French mathematician (d. 1719)
1671 – John Law, Scottish economist (d. 1729)
1673 – Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick, Holy Roman Empire Empress (d. 1742)
1713 – Louis, 4th duc de Noailles, Marshal of France (d. 1793)
1729 – Catherine II of Russia, known as 'Catherine the Great' (d. 1796)
1730 – Antonín Kammel,Czech composer and violinist (d. 1788)
1767 – Elisabeth of Württemberg, Archduchess of Austria (d. 1790)
1774 – Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist (d. 1862)
1775 – Alexander Anderson, American illustrator (d. 1870)
1810 – John Putnam Chapin, American politician (d. 1864)
1811 – Alson Sherman, American politician (d. 1903)
1814 – Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, English philanthropist (d. 1906)
1816 – Charlotte Brontë, English author (d. 1855)
1837 – Fredrik Bajer, Danish politician, Nobel laureate (d. 1922)
1838 – John Muir, Scottish-born American environmentalist (d. 1914)
1851 – Charles Barrois, French geologist (d. 1939)
1854 – William Stang, Roman Catholic Bishop (d. 1907)
1864 – Max Weber, German economist and sociologist (d. 1920)
1870 – Edwin S. Porter, American film pioneer (d. 1941)
1874 – Vincent Scotto, French songwriter (d. 1952)
1879 – Raden Ayu Kartini, Indonesian national figure (d. 1904)
1882 – Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1961)
1887 – Joe McCarthy, American baseball manager (d. 1978)
1889 – Paul Karrer, Swiss chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)
1889 – Efrem Zimbalist, Russian-born American concert violinist (d. 1985)
1898 – Maurice Wilson, Everest climber, Yorkshire hero (d. 1934)
1904 – Odilo Globocnik, Austrian Nazi (d. 1945)
1905 – Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, Governor of California (d. 1996)
1906 – Stephen Tennant, English socialite (d. 1987)
1907 – Wade Mainer, American singer and banjoist (d. 2011)
1911 – Ivan Combe, American inventor (d. 2000)
1911 – Leonard Warren, American opera baritone (d. 1960)
1912 – Marcel Camus, French film director (d. 1982)
1914 – Norman Panama, American screenwriter (d. 2003)
1914 – Angelo Savoldi, Italian-American wrestler
1915 – Garrett Hardin, American ecologist (d. 2003)
1915 – Anthony Quinn, Mexican-born American actor (d. 2001)
1916 – Eldon Rathburn, Canadian composer (d. 2008)
1918 – Eddy Christiani, Dutch singer and guitarist
1919 – Don Cornell, American singer (d. 2004)
1919 – Roger Doucet, Canadian tenor (d. 1981)
1920 – Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (d. 1991)
1920 – Ronald Magill, British actor (d. 2007)
1923 – John Mortimer, English barrister and writer (d. 2009)
1924 – Ira Louvin, Country music singer, songwriter, and musician (d. 1965)
1925 – Sir Anthony Mason, former Chief Justice of Australia
1926 – Elizabeth II, Queen of the Commonwealth realms
1926 – Arthur Rowley, English footballer (d. 2002)
1927 – Gerald Flood, British actor (d. 1989)
1927 – Robert Savoie, Canadian operatic baritone (d. 2007)
1928 – Jack Evans, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1996)
1930 – Silvana Mangano, Italian actress (d. 1989)
1932 – Elaine May, American comedian
1933 – Easley Blackwood, Jr., American professor of music, a concert pianist, a composer
1935 – Charles Grodin, American actor
1935 – Thomas Kean, American politician
1936 – James Dobson, American evangelist
1936 – Reggie Fleming, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2009)
1939 – Helen Prejean, American author and activist
1940 – Jacques Caron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1942 – Pierre Lorrain, Canadian politician (d. 2004)
1944 – Adrian Hurley, Australian basketball coach
1945 – Diana Darvey, British actress, singer and dancer (d. 2000)
1945 – Ronnie Tober, Dutch singer
1947 – Barbara Park, American author of children's books
1947 – Iggy Pop, American musician (The Stooges)
1947 – John Weider, British rock musician (Eric Burdon and the Animals, Family)
1948 – Gary Condit, American politician
1948 – Paul Davis, American singer (d. 2008)
1949 – Patti LuPone, American singer and actress
1951 – Tony Danza, American actor and comedian
1951 – Michael Hartley Freedman, American mathematician
1951 – Bob Varsha, American motor sports TV commentator
1951 – Steve Vickers, Canadian hockey player
1953 – Guy Mongrain, Canadian television game show host
1954 – Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer
1954 – James Morrison, American actor
1956 – Phillip Longman, American demographer
1957 – Edward Leslie, American professional wrestler
1957 – Jesse Orosco, American baseball player
1958 – Andie MacDowell, American actress
1958 – Yoshito Usui, Japanese manga artist
1958 – Michael Zarnock, American author and columnist
1959 – Tim Jacobus, American artist (Goosebumps)
1959 – Jerry Only, American musician (The Misfits)
1959 – Arno Pijpers, Dutch football coach
1959 – Robert Smith, British musician (The Cure)
1959 – Michael Timmins, Canadian musician (Cowboy Junkies)
1960 – Michel Goulet, Canadian ice hockey player
1961 – Ronald Florijn, Dutch rower
1961 – Neale Marmon, English footballer
1961 – David Servan-Schreiber, French physician, neuroscientist and author (d. 2011)
1962 – Les Lancaster, American baseball player
1963 – Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (d. 2004)
1963 – Roy Dupuis, Canadian actor
1963 – John Cameron Mitchell, American film director
1964 – Alex Baumann, Canadian swimmer
1964 – Ludmila Engquist, Russian-born Swedish athlete
1965 – Ed Belfour, Canadian ice hockey player
1965 – Karen Foster, American model (Playboy)
1965 – Gary Grant, American basketball player
1965 – Fiona Kelleghan, American academic and critic
1966 – Michael Franti, American musician
1968 – Peter van Vossen, Dutch footballer and football coach
1969 – Robin Meade, American news anchor
1969 – Toby Stephens, British actor
1970 – Jeff Anderson, American actor
1970 – Glen Hansard, Irish songwriter and actor
1970 – Rob Riggle, American comedian
1970 – Nicole Sullivan, American actress
1971 – Alexander Kravchenko, Russian poker player
1971 – Eric Mabius, American actor
1971 – Michael Turner, American comic book artist (d. 2008)
1972 – Gwendal Peizerat, French ice dancer
1972 – Severina Vuckovic, Croatian singer
1973 – Jonathan Nsenga, Belgian athlete
1975 – Charlie O'Connell, American actor
1975 – Tha Trademarc, American hip hop artist
1975 – Brian J. White, American actor
1976 – Rommel Adducul, Filipino basketball player
1976 – Ronald Vink, Dutch wheelchair tennis player
1977 – Doseone, American rapper
1977 – Jamie Salé, Canadian figure skater
1978 – Jacob Burns, Australian footballer
1978 – Jukka Nevalainen, Finnish drummer (Nightwish)
1978 – Branden Steineckert, American drummer (Rancid, The Used)
1979 – James McAvoy, Scottish actor
1979 – Tobias Linderoth, Swedish footballer
1980 – Jeff Keppinger, American baseball player
1980 – Vincent Lecavalier, Canadian hockey player
1980 – Tony Romo, American football player
1980 – Martin Rosete, Spanish film director and publicist
1981 – Mads Junker, Danish footballer
1981 – Kim Lammers, Dutch field hockey player
1981 – Stephanie Larimore, American model
1982 – Carnell Williams, American football player
1982 – Lynn Hilary, Irish singer
1983 – Pawel Brozek, Polish footballer
1983 – Marco Donadel, Italian footballer
1983 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player
1984 – Shayna Fox, American voice actress
1986 – Audra Cohen, American tennis player
1986 – Alexander Edler, Swedish hockey player
1986 – Rodney Stuckey, American basketball player
1986 – Mirko Valdifiori, Italian footballer
1987 – Nadif Chowdhury, Bangladeshi cricketer
1987 – Eric Devendorf, American basketball player
1987 – Leroy George, Dutch footballer
1988 – Robbie Amell, Canadian actor
1988 – Pedro Mosquera Parada, Spanish footballer
1989 – Carlos Muñoz, Chilean footballer
2007 – Princess Isabella of Denmark

Deaths

866 – Bardas, Byzantine noble and minister (b. unknown)
1073 – Pope Alexander II
1109 – Anselm of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1033)
1142 – Pierre Abélard, French writer (b. 1079)
1329 – Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1282)
1509 – King Henry VII of England (b. 1457)
1551 – Oda Nobuhide, Japanese warlord (b. 1510)
1557 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician (b. 1495)
1574 – Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1519)
1699 – Jean Racine, French dramatist (b. 1639)
1701 – Asano Naganori, Japanese warlord (b. 1667)
1719 – Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and historian (b. 1640)
1720 – Antoine Hamilton, French writer (b. 1646)
1722 – Robert Beverley, Jr., historian of Colonial Virginia (b. 1673)
1792 – Tiradentes, Brazilian revolutionary (b. 1746)
1815 – Joseph Winston, U.S. Congressman from North Carolina (b. 1746)
1825 – Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician (b. 1765)
1852 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (b. 1787)
1863 – Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, Irish nobility (b. 1782)
1868 – Henry James O'Farrell, Australian would-be assassin of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh
1910 – Mark Twain, American author and humorist (b. 1835)
1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, German pilot (b. 1892)
1922 – Alessandro Moreschi, Italian castrato (b. 1858)
1924 – Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (b. 1858)
1930 – Robert Bridges, English poet (b. 1844)
1938 – Allama Iqbal, Urdu philosopher and poet (b. 1877)
1945 – Walter Model, German field marshal (b. 1891)
1946 – John Maynard Keynes, English economist (b. 1883)
1948 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (b. 1887)
1956 – Charles MacArthur, American writer (b. 1895)
1965 – Sir Edward Victor Appleton, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
1971 – François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, Haitian dictator (b. 1907)
1973 – Arthur Fadden, 13th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
1974 – Charles "Chic" Harley, American football player (b. 1895)
1977 – Gummo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1892)
1977 – Issy Bonn, British actor and musician (b. 1893)
1978 – Sandy Denny, British vocalist (b. 1947)
1978 – Thomas Wyatt Turner, American civil rights advocate and agricultural engineer (b. 1877)
1980 – Aleksandr Oparin, Russian biochemist (b. 1894)
1980 – Sohrab Sepehri, Persian poet and painter (b. 1928)
1983 – Walter Slezak, Austrian actor (b. 1902)
1984 – Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian mountaineer (b. 1943)
1985 – Rudi Gernreich, Austrian fashion designer (b. 1922)
1985 – Foster Hewitt, Canadian radio pioneer (b. 1902)
1985 – Tancredo de Almeida Neves, Brazil banker and elected president (b. 1910)
1986 – Salah Jaheen, Egyptian poet and cartoonist (b. 1930)
1989 – Princess Dukhye of Korea (b. 1912)
1989 – James Kirkwood, Jr., American playwright, author and actor (b. 1924)
1990 – Erté, French artist (b. 1892)
1991 – Willi Boskovsky, Austrian violinist and conductor (b. 1909)
1996 – Dzhokhar Dudaev, Chechen leader (b. 1944)
1996 – Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, American bookie and sports broadcaster (b. 1919)
1998 – Jean-François Lyotard, French philosopher and sociologist (b. 1924)
1999 – Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, American actor and musician (b. 1904)
2000 – Neal Matthews, Jr., American singer (b. 1929)
2003 – Nina Simone, American singer and pianist (b. 1933)
2004 – Mary McGrory, American journalist (b. 1918)
2005 – Gerry Marshall, British racing driver (b. 1941)
2006 – T.K. Ramakrishnan, Indian politician (b. 1922)
2006 – Telê Santana, Brazilian football manager and former player (b. 1931)
2007 – Lobby Loyde, Australian guitarist and songwriter (b. 1941)
2008 – Al Wilson, American singer (b. 1939)
2010 – Gustav Lorentzen, Norwegian singer-songwriter (b. 1947)
2010 – Juan Antonio Samaranch, International Olympic Committee president (b. 1920)
2011 – Catharina Halkes, Dutch theologian and feminist (b. 1920)