| (1742) Handel’s oratorio masterpiece, ‘Messiah,’ premieres
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An audience of 700 gather in Dublin’s Great Music Hall for a charity concert featuring composer George Frideric Handel’s new choral work, ‘Messiah.’ An immediate sensation in Ireland, its London debut will get a cooler reception. . |
| (1943) Thomas Jefferson receives a 200th birthday gift
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| President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates a memorial on the Tidal Basin of the Potomac River on Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Because of wartime metal shortages, the bronze statue of America’s third president won’t be added until 1947. . |
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| (1964) Sidney Poitier makes Oscar history
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In a year packed with landmark civil rights activism, another barrier is broken at the 36th Academy Awards as Sidney Poitier becomes the first African American to receive the Oscar for Best Actor, for his role in ‘Lillies of the Field.’ . |
| (1970) Apollo 13 faces catastrophe 200,000 miles from Earth
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| Two days after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a warning light, a loud bang, and the message “Houston, we’ve had a problem here,” puts an end to Apollo 13’s mission to the moon. An exploded oxygen tank on the spacecraft makes returning to Earth alive the new goal.. |
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