What happened on this day in history: Queen Elizabeth I of England is born, Tupac Shakur is shot in Las Vegas, and more.
1191: Richard The Lionheart Breaks Through The Muslim Army On The Way To Jerusalem
Wikimedia CommonsBattle of Arsuf painted by Eloi Firmin Feron (1802-1876).
Richard the Lionheart, King of England, breaks through the Muslim army during the Battle of Arsuf. As part of the Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart led Christian campaigns to capture the holy city of Jerusalem. After the Knights Hospitaller, a Catholic military order, charged at the Muslim army, Richard commanded his men to join. The Christians broke through the Muslim army and successfully secured a portion of Palestine as a result.
1533: Queen Elizabeth I Is Born
Elizabeth I is born at Greenwich Palace in London, England. The daughter of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, her birth was a bitter disappointment to her father, who had hoped for a son. Elizabeth nevertheless rose to power in 1558 after the death of her older sister, Mary, and ruled England for 45 years.
1936: Buddy Holly Is Born
Wikimedia CommonsBuddy Holly had a handful of hits before he died at the age of 22.
Charles Hardin Holley, later known as Buddy Holly, is born in Lubbock, Texas. A singer and songwriter, Holly helped pen hits like “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue.” He tragically died in a plane crash in 1959 at the age of 22, a day which songwriter Don McLean dubbed the “Day the Music Died.”
1940: The Blitz Begins Over Great Britain
Winston Churchill tours Coventry Cathedral after it was bombed and mostly destroyed in November 1940.
Germany attacks Britain in a bombing “blitzkrieg” during World War II. Dubbed “the Blitz,” Germany’s bombing campaign would continue for another 56 days. Four hundred and forty-eight civilians died on the first day of the Blitz, and some 40,000 perished by May 1941.
1996: Tupac Shakur Is Shot
Wikimedia CommonsTupac Shakur in 1991, five years before he died.
Tupac Shakur is shot four times in Las Vegas, Nevada, as his car idled at a red light. The rapper, just 25 years old, succumbed to his wounds six days later. To this day, the question of who killed Tupac remains unanswered, with theories ranging from gang members, to corrupt police, to Tupac’s industry rivals.
