“What is the use trying to describe the flowing of a river at any one moment, and then at the next moment, and then at the next, and the next, and the next? You wear out. You say ‘There is a great river and it flows through this land, and we have named it History’.”
Ursula K. Le Guin, American writer.
1. King Charles II of England commissioned the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
On this day in history in 1675 King Charles II of England commissioned the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The observatory was built on the prime meridian. The mean solar time at this location is the basis for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
2. The United States took over the construction of the Panama Canal
On this day in history in 1904 The United States took over the construction of the Panama Canal. French engineers had begun digging a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in 1881, but they had to abandon the project after about 22,000 lives had been lost to accidents and disease.
3. Ernest Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize
On this day in history in 1953 Ernest Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize.
The American author was awarded the prestigious accolade for his novel The Old Man and the Sea. The story about a fisherman and his battle with a large marlin also earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.
4. The Grammy was presented for the first time
On this day in history in 1959 The Grammy was presented for the first time. It is one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Winners of the first edition included Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini, and Frank Sinatra.
5. Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat signed a peace accord to ensure Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and Jericho
On this day in history in 1994 Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat signed a peace accord to ensure Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and Jericho. Together with Shimon Peres, the two leaders received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. A year later, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist.
