Fahd, who became king of Saudi Arabia in 1982, died at age 82; he was succeeded by his half brother ʿAbd Allah. 2005.
American author George R.R. Martin published A Game of Thrones, the first installment in his hugely popular fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. 1996.
American boxer Mike Tyson defeated Tony Tucker and was unanimously recognized as heavyweight champion by all three sanctioning organizations (World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, and International Boxing Federation). 1987.
The cable television network MTV debuted, with the broadcast of the music video for Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles. 1981.
Icelandic teacher and politician Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became president of Iceland; she was the first woman in the world to be elected head of state in a national election. 1980
The Warsaw Uprising began as the Polish underground tried to oust the German army and seize control of the city before it was occupied by the advancing Soviet army; after running out of supplies, the Poles were forced to surrender in October. 1944.
John F. Kennedy‘s Why England Slept, a critical account of the British military that became a best seller, was published. 1940.
The Summer Olympics opened in Berlin, and the efforts by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to demonstrate the superiority of the “Aryan race” were undermined by the success of African American athletes, notably Jesse Owens. 1936.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck—a French biologist best known for his theory that acquired traits are inheritable, an idea known as Lamarckism—was born in Bazentin-le-Petit. 1744.
Yves Saint Laurent (born August 1, 1936, Oran, Algeria—died June 1, 2008, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer noted for his popularization of women’s trousers for all occasions. 1936.
