Daily Nonsense

Today in 193 – Roman Emperor Pertinax is assassinated by Praetorian Guards, who then sell the throne in an auction to Didius Julianus.

Today in 1854 – to start the Crimean War, France and Britain declare war on Russia.

Today in 1979 – In Pennsylvania, a pump in the reactor cooling system fails in the Three Mile Island accident, resulting in the evaporation of some contaminated water causing a nuclear meltdown.

Today in 2003 – In a "friendly fire" incident, two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from the United States Idaho Air National Guard’s 190th Fighter Squadron attacked British tanks participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, killing British soldier Matty Hull.

Celebrating Birthdays today are Frederick Pabst, Maxim Gorky, August Anheuser Busch, Jr., Marlin Perkins, Julia Stiles, Reba McEntire, and Nikki Sanderson.

Celebrating Death-iversaries today are Emperor Go-Toba, Modest Mussorgsky, Virginia Woolf, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jim Thorpe, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Emmett Kelly, Maria von Trapp, and Caspar Weinberger.