The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a document drawn up during the French Revolution that listed the human and civil rights of all men; also a book by Thomas Paine written in 1791 that argued that revolution was permissible in certain situations.
Rights of Man
Fact of the Day
Among the many people who bought coats of arms at the beginning of the seventeenth century was the common hangman of London, Gregory Brandon.
Quote of the Day
"I love argument, I love debate. I don't expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that's not their job.
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~ Margaret Thatcher
On This Day
1284 The future Edward II was born at Caernarfon Castle, Wales. He was the only son from Edward I's first marriage to Eleanor of Castile to outlive his father.
1719 The much-loved Daniel Defoe story Robinson Crusoe was published.
1792 French highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier became the first person to be executed by the guillotine.
1915 Ninety thousand Australian, New Zealand, British and French forces began landing on the Turkish Gallipoli Peninsula. They hoped to secure the northern bank of the Dardanelles, but were forced to withdraw after eight months of intense fighting.
1916 British authorities declared martial law in Dublin for a month, in response to the Easter Rising.
1984 David A. Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy (of the political Kennedy family), died of a drug overdose in Palm Beach, aged 28.
1990 The US shuttle Discovery released the Hubble Telescope into orbit. It remains one of the largest, most versatile and best known space telescopes.