1736 – Astronomer Anders Celsius takes measurements that confirm Newton’s theory that the earth was an ellipsoid rather than the previously accepted sphere
1775 – First official US flag raised (Grand Union Flag) aboard naval vessel USS Alfred
1984 – A leak of methyl isocyanate and other toxic compounds from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, caused the death of
2,259 people (official figure for immediate deaths – other estimates go as high as 16,000 including later deaths) and over half a million injured
1992 – The Greek tanker “Aegean Sea” ran aground at La Coruna, Spain and spilled 21.5 million gallons of crude oil.
1999 – Tori Murden became the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean alone. It took her 81 days to reach the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe from the Canary Islands.
By: Archa Dave
