British MP William Wilberforce made his first major speech on abolition of slave trade in the UK House of Commons.
1820: Florence Nightingale’s birth
Florence Nightingale, who established trained nursing as a profession for women, was born in Florence, Italy. The day is celebrated as International Nurses Day.
1926: First flight over North Pole
Norway's Roald Amundsen, US scientist Lincoln Ellsworth, and Italian engineer Umberto Nobile flew over the North Pole.
Photo credit: The National Library of Norway
1937: UK’s King George VI crowned
King George VI of the United Kingdom was crowned after the abdication of Edward VIII.
2008: Massive earthquake devastates China
A huge earthquake hit Sichuan in China, wreaking havoc and killing roughly 90,000 people.