This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 29th June”.
1613: The Globe Theatre burns down
Shakespeare’s acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men built The Globe Theatre in 1599. It was where most of his plays debuted. Like other theatres of its time, the Globe was a round wooden structure with a stage at one end, and covered balconies for the gentry. The galleries could seat about 1,000 people, with room for another 2,000 “groundlings,” who could stand on the ground around the stage.
1958: Pelé leads Brazil to first World Cup title
Brazil defeated host nation Sweden 5-2 to win its first World Cup, thrilling the world with their spectacular play. It was often referred to as the “beautiful game.” Pelé and Vava scored two goals each in the final. Brazil went on to win the World Cup again in 1962 and 1970. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee honoured Pelé along with 10 others as one of the best athletes of the century.
1974: Isabel Perón takes office as Argentine president
With Argentine President Juan Perón on his deathbed, Isabel Martinez de Perón, his wife and vice president, was sworn in as the leader of the South American country. A former dancer, President Isabel Perón was the Western Hemisphere’s first female head of government. Nevertheless, she was unable to command the support of any powerful group, let alone construct a necessary coalition. The political and economic situation in Argentina worsened.
1995: US space shuttle docks with Russian space station
The American space shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir to form the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth. This historic moment of cooperation was also the 100th human space mission in American history. Daniel Goldin, chief of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), called it the beginning of “a new era of friendship and cooperation” between the USA and Russia.
2003: Actress Katherine Hepburn dies at 96
A four-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress, Katherine Hepburn was one of the greatest screen legends of Hollywood’s golden era. She died of natural causes at the age of 96, at her home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) named Hepburn as the greatest female actress in the history of American cinema. Upon her death, Broadway dimmed its lights for an hour to mark the passing of one of entertainment’s brightest stars.
