MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY

2006: American novelist William Styron —known for his treatment of tragic themes and his rich classical prose style, highlighted in such works as Sophie's Choice (1979)—died at age 81. [Test your knowledge of famous writers.]

1999: American professional gridiron football player Walter Payton, who was one of the game's greatest running backs, died from bile duct cancer. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about American football.]

1997: James Cameron's Titanic, a drama about the doomed ocean liner , had its first public screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival; the movie would become one of the highest grossing of all time, and it made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet international stars. [How much do you know about the movie Titanic?]

1994: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched its Wind spacecraft on a mission that would include a “halo orbit” between the Sun and Earth to explore the space environment there. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about space exploration.]

1981: Antigua and Barbuda achieved independence from the United Kingdom, with Vere Bird serving as the first prime minister. [ Take our quiz about islands.]

1967: The film classic Cool Hand Luke opened in American theatres, and it became especially known for Paul Newman's performance in one of his iconic antihero roles. [ Test your knowledge of Paul Newman.]