1639 β Harvard College is officially named in honour of clergyman John Harvard, who left his library and half his estate to the new institution π ποΈ
1781 β English astronomer William Herschel discovers the planet Uranus, initially mistaking the celestial body for a comet π πͺ
1930 β The Lowell Observatory formally announces the discovery of Pluto, timing the news to coincide with the 149th anniversary of the discovery of Uranus πͺ π
1986 β Tech giant Microsoft launches its Initial Public Offering (IPO), turning co-founder Bill Gates into an instant multi-millionaire π» π
1988 β The Seikan Tunnel opens in Japan, connecting the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido as the longest and deepest undersea tunnel in the world at the time π π
2003 β An article in the journal Nature reports the discovery of 350,000-year-old footprints in Italy, left by early humans walking on volcanic ash π£ π
2004 β Legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti performs his final opera, appearing in Tosca at the New York Metropolitan Opera to a 15-minute standing ovation π€ π
2012 β EncyclopΓ¦dia Britannica officially announces it will cease printing physical bound editions after 244 years, shifting entirely to digital formats π π»
