Facts

1821: Nikitaras defeats the Turks at Doliana Kynouria. From this battle the brave commander will remain in history as “Turkophagos”. According to the testimonies, after the battle they could not pry the sword from his hand!

1828: The Turks attack the Frankish Castle of Chania, which is defended by 600 Cretan rebels. Most of its defenders fall heroically in battle. It is said that since then, every year at dawn on this day, the ghosts of the heroes, the well-known Drosulites, appear in the battlements of the castle.

1910: Halley’s Comet causes panic around the world and finally passes our planet at a safe distance.

1963: The president of the French Republic, Charles de Gaulle, speaks to the Hellenic Parliament, during his official visit to Greece.

1965: The first information about the existence and activity in the army of a conspiratorial organization called “ASPIDA” and the involvement of Andreas Papandreou in it are mentioned in press reports.

1980: A man from Herakles is arrested for bribing PAOK’s defender Filotas Pellios with 500,000 drachmas, in order not to compete in the rematch between the two teams for the semi-finals of the Greek Cup. The “old man” will be found guilty and demoted.

Births

1846: Peter Carl Faberge, Russian jeweler, also known for the eponymous diamond eggs. (D. 24/9/1920)

1897: Frank Capra, Italian-American film director. (D. 3/9/1991)

1919: Margot Fontaine, English ballerina. (D. 21/2/1991)

Deaths

1967: Nikiforos Mandilaras, Greek lawyer and democracy fighter. (Born 2/19/1928)

1980: Ian Curtis, English singer, member of the band “Joy Division”. (“Love will tear us apart”) (Born 7/15/1956)

2017: Chris Cornell, stage name of Christopher Boyle, American guitarist of Soundgarden. (Born 20/7/1964)