| (1576) Construction begins on Tycho Brahe’s observatory
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Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe’s elaborate and expensive marvel of an observatory, the first custom-built observatory in Europe, is begun with a cornerstone laid on the island of Hven, Denmark. The red brick building is called Uraniborg and dedicated to the muse of astronomy, Urania.. |
| (1786) Alps’ highest peak is conquered
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| Europe’s highest peak outside of the Caucasus range, soaring almost 16,000 feet, is successfully ascended for the first time by Savoyard mountain guide Jacques Balmat and doctor Michel-Gabriel Paccard. Many will call the pair’s conquest of Mont Blanc the birth of modern mountaineering. . |
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| (1963) Millions grabbed in brazen English train heist
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At 3:15 AM in rural Buckinghamshire, England, the Glasgow-Euston mail train is halted, boarded, and robbed of more than £2 million in untraceable bank notes. While most of the money in the biggest rail heist in British history will never be found, many of the participants will be.. |
| (1974) President Richard Nixon resigns from office
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| Left reeling from the Watergate scandal, and facing the looming prospect of impeachment, President Richard Nixon broadcasts his decision to resign. A first in US presidential history, the resignation will become official the next day, ending an infamous chapter in political corruption.. |
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