the British physicist, mathematician and astronomer Isaac Newton dies. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time. His law of gravitation explained the motion of the planets and the Moon.

In 1870 in Ljubljana, Slovenian poet and humorist Rado Murnik is born. His best known work is Lepi janičar.

In 1866 Hungarian pianist and composer Franz Liszt dies. As the court conductor in Weimar he helped establish Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz and Robert Schumann.

In 1893 in Velenje Slovenian juvenile writer and educator Gustav Šilih is born.

In 1944 French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery was born. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince.

In 1962 American actor Wesley Snipes is born.

In 1965 a British novelist J. K. Rowling, best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, is born.

MUSIC HISTORY
1959 - Cliff Richard is at the top of the British singles chart with 'Living Doll.'
1968 - Tommy James and The Shondells are at the top of the British singles chart with 'Mony Mony'. Also Billy Idol with an adaptation of the song in 1987 got to the top of the charts.
1971 - James Taylor is at the top of the American charts with ‘You Got A Friend'.
1985 - Eurythmics is at the top of the British charts with 'There Must Be An Angel’.
1985 - Paul Young is at the top of the American singles chart with 'Everytime You Go Away'.
1999 - Christina Aguilera is at the top of the British singles chart with her first song 'Genie In A Bottle’.

BORN ON THIS DAY
1946 - Gary Lewis, singer in Gary Lewis and The Playboys ('This Diamond Ring').
1964 - Jim Corr, Irish singer in the family group The Corrs, in which his younger three sisters also sing.