1727 ~ Birthday of Thomas Gainsborough, Artist.

1796 ~ Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox vaccination.

1870 ~ The first game of rugby in New Zealand was played in Nelson between Nelson College and the Nelson Rugby Football Club.

1884 ~ Birthday of Claude Dornier, Aircraft Designer.

1885 ~ Birthday of Otto Klemperer, Conductor.

1912 ~ Birthday of Ben Hogan, Golfer.

1925 ~ Death of H. Rider Haggard, Author.

1940 ~ World War II: The Netherlands surrendered to Germany.

1948 ~ Israel declared itself to be an independent state and a provisional government was established.

1955 ~ Eight communist bloc countries including the Soviet Union signed a mutual-defense treaty called the Warsaw Pact.

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Eudaimonia