On this day in 1898, British literary scholar and children’s book author C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland.

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On this day in 1922, Royal Air Force Captain Cyril Turner became the first pilot in the U.S. to use skywriting as a form of advertising.

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On this day in 1984, a group of celebrity musicians recorded the benefit song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

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On this day in 1874, farmer and rancher Joseph Glidden was granted a patent for double-stranded barbed wire.

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On this day in 534 BC, an ancient Greek performer named Thespis became the first known actor to portray a character on stage.

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On this day in 1927, American inventor Carl Eliason received a patent for an early version of the snowmobile.

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On this day in 1783, at a public demonstration in Paris, two volunteers embarked on the first free ascent in a hot air balloon.

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On this day in 1966, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops loosened the rule requiring Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays. 

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On this day in 1913, German monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II forbade his officers from dancing the tango while in uniform.

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On this day in 1974, scientists at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico sent the first message intended for alien lifeforms. 

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