dear da' mom:

On this day in history, many famous things happened such as:

• 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration.
• 1346 - Battle of Neville's Cross: King David II of Scotland is captured by Edward III of England at Calais, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for eleven years.
• 1662 - Charles II of England sells Dunkirk to France for 40,000 pounds.
• 1781 - General Charles Cornwallis offers his surrender to the American revolutionists at Yorktown, Virginia.
• 1979 - The Department of Education Organization Act is signed into law creating the US Department of Education and US Department of Health and Human Services. Both replace the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Additionally, many famous people were born on this day:

• 1563 - Jodocus Hondius, Flemish cartographer (d. 1611)
  

• 1582 - Johann Gerhard, German Lutheran leader (d. 1637)

• 1912 - Pope John Paul I (d. 1978)

• 1915 - Arthur Miller, American playwright (d. 2005)

• 1938 - Evel Knievel, American motorcycle daredevil (d. 2007)

• 1959 - Richard Roeper, American film critic

• 1980 - Ekaterina Gamova, Russian volleyball player (she's 6'8"!)
  

According to the French Revolution-era Republican Calendar, today is also (fittingly) jour de l'aubergine...that is, Day of the Eggplant.

Happy Birthday
to Everyone's
Favorite Eggplant!