Dutch painter, printmaker, and draughtsman, widely considered one of the greatest visual artists in the history of art. His masterful use of light and shadow is evident in works like The Night Watch and The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.
French soldiers under Napoleon Bonaparte discover the Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian port city of Rosetta. The stone, containing the same text in three scripts, became the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
U.S. President Richard Nixon announces on national television that he will visit the People's Republic of China. The surprise announcement marked a major diplomatic pivot in Cold War politics.