MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2018: American singer Aretha Franklin, who defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s and was known as the “Queen of Soul,” died at age 76. [ Take our music quiz.]

2016: Brazilian businessman and sports official João Havelange—who served as president (1974–98) of FIFA, the governing body of football (soccer), and transformed it into one of the world's largest and most powerful sports organizations but was later implicated in a massive corruption scandal—died at age 100. [ Sort fact from fiction in our football (soccer) quiz.]

2003: Ugandan military officer Idi Amin—who assumed the country's presidency (1971–79) following a coup and became known as the “Butcher of Uganda” for his brutality—died in Saudi Arabia. [Test your knowledge of African leaders.]

1977: American singer Elvis Presley, known as the “King of Rock and Roll,” died of a heart attack brought on largely by drug abuse. [How much do you know about rock and roll?]

1960: The island of Cyprus became an independent republic. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about islands.]

1954: Canadian filmmaker James Cameron —who was known for his expansive vision and innovative special-effects movies, notably Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009)—was born. [Take our film buff quiz.]