On this day in 1862, President Lincoln signed his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, stating any slave in the Confederacy would be free January 1st.

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It's the birthday of H.G. Wells (1866-1946), author of science fiction books such as "The Time Machine" and "The War of the Worlds."

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It's the birthday of George R.R. Martin (1948), author of the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" which was turned into the HBO show "Game of Thrones."

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On this date in 1940, Polish soldier Witold Pilecki allowed himself to be captured by the Nazis so he could find out what was happening at Auschwitz.

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It's the birthday of Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990), who made 28 movies before retiring at the age of 35.

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On this date in 1683, Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek wrote a letter to the Royal Society, sharing his discovery of "animalcules," or bacteria.

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It’s the 70th birthday of Henry Louis Gates Jr. (1950), the scholar, literary critic, historian, and host of PBS's "Finding Your Roots."

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On this date in 1963, a bomb killed four girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The FBI suppressed evidence against the suspected bomber.

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On this day 700 years ago, the author Dante died from malaria, just months after completing the third and final part of his "Divine Comedy."

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It's the birthday of the pianist and composer Clara Schumann (1819-1896), who was much more popular than her husband Robert Schumann during their lifetime.

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