| (1562) Ancient Maya books destroyed
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Sacred books of the Maya, a people native to the Yucatan Peninsula in what will later be Mexico, are burned by Spanish Roman Catholic bishop Diego de Landa. The Maya indigenous language and religion have been deemed heretical by the Inquisition and are therefore to be destroyed.. |
| (1862) Valor above and beyond the call of duty honored
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| President Abraham Lincoln signs a law providing for the awarding of medals to Army personnel who “distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action,” and the first of these Medal of Honor five-point bronze stars coated in copper will be awarded to six Civil War Union Army volunteers.. |
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| (1943) Huge tank battle pummels Eastern front
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Some 290 German Panzer Corps tanks take on upwards of 850 tanks of the Soviet Steppe Front in the Battle of Prokhorovka, part of a massive Nazi offensive on WWII’s Eastern Front. The clash of armored giants sees the Soviets lose more tanks, but the Germans will gain no real ground.. |
| (1984) US gender barrier broken as female veep nominee is chosen
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| Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale chooses Representative Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. The first woman, and first Italian-American, to be on a major party presidential ticket in US history will give a rousing acceptance speech at her party’s convention a week later. . |
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