On this day in history —

• The Union of England and Scotland takes place (1601)
• Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康) becomes shōgun, beginning the Tokugawa Shogunate that will rule Japan for over 200 years (1603) — cover
• The Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to house British soldiers, becomes law. It will be listed in the Declaration of Independence as one of the grievances against England and leads to the 3rd Amendment (1765)
• Mormon founder Joseph Smith is tarred and feathered (1832)
• Black Canadian men get the right to vote (1837)
• The Philippines become self-governing (1934)
• Allied airman begin the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III (1944)
• Elvis is drafted (1958)
• The Exxon Valdez hits a reef and spills 11 million gallons of oil (1989)
• Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 is discovered (1993)

It’s the birthday of —

• Peyton Manning, quarterback (1976)
• Aaron Brooks, quarterbak (1976)
• Alyson Hannigan, actress (1974)
• Jim Parsons, actor (1973)
• Nena, balloon girl (1960)
• Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft (1956)
• Louis Anderson, comedian (1953)
• Tommy Hilfinger, fashion designer (1951)
• Pat Bradley, golfer (1951)
• Bob Mackie, costumer (1940)
• Steve McQueen, actor (1930)
• Norman Fell, actor (1924)
• Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet (1919)
• Donald Hamilton, mystery writer (1916)
• “Gorgeous George” Wagner, wrestler (1915)
• Joseph Barbara, animator and Hanna partner (1911)
• Clyde Barrow, Bonnie’s partner (1909)
• Thomas E. Dewey, politician (1902)
• Ub Iwerks, co-creator of Mickey Mouse (1901)
• Wilhelm Reich, psychoanalyst (1897)
• “Gentleman George” Sisler, baseball player (1893)
• Fatty Arbuckle, silent film star (1887)
• Harry Houdini, magician (1874)
• Andrew Mellon, banker (1855)
• Ignacio Zaragoza, Mexican general whose victory at Puebla is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo (1829)
• A. E. Becquerel, physicist (1820)

Deaths —

• Robert Culp, actor (2010)
• George Kell, baseball player (2009)
• Richard Widmark, actor (2008)
• Martin Caidin, writer (1997)
• Harold Melvin, blue note (1997)
• John Hersey, writer (1993)
• Sam Jaffe, actor (1984)
• Bernard Montgomery, field marshal (1976)
• Alexander Alekhine (Алекса́ндр Але́хин), chess grandmaster (1946)
• Jules Verne, science fiction writer (1905)
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (1882)
• Elizabeth I of England, monarch (1603)
• Harun al-Rashid, caliph of Baghdad (809)

Holidays —

• Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justici (Argentina)
• World Tuberculosis Day (International)