1656 - Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn declares he is insolvent after living beyond his means and spending too much on artwork and rare items. Leads to the most experimental and exuberantly creative period of his career. 1805 - Naples/Calabria struck by Earthquake; about 26,000 die 1896 - Vitascope Hall, 1st permanent for-profit movie theatre, opens in New Orleans 1958 - Army launches 4th US successful satellite, Explorer IV 1962 - Milwaukee Brave Warren Spahn sets HR record of 31 by a pitcher 1963 - US Syncom 2, 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, launched 1965 - Republic of Maldives gains independence from Britain (National Day) 1983 - Light flashes seen on Jupiter moon Io 2017 - 3 live king cobras reported found inside potato chip cans by customs officials in Los Angeles 2023 - Actor Kevin Spacey is cleared of sex assault charges at a court in London More Historical Events »