In 1492, a contract was signed between Christopher Columbus and Spain to seek a westward ocean passage to Asia.
In 1521, Martin Luther went before the Diet of Worms
(vohrms) to face charges stemming from his religious writings.
In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazano discovered present-day New York harbor.
In 1790, Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at the age of 84.
In 1861, the Virginia State Convention voted to secede from the Union.
In 1961, about 1,500 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in an attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. The invasion failed, and the survivors were captured.
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"Life is like playing a violin solo in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."