May 29

In 1167 at the battle of Monte Porzio, a Roman army was defeated on this day by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel. Following the battle, large numbers of surviving Roman soldiers are presumed to have nearly died of embarrassment explaining this to their fathers.

John Penry published treasonous tracts and gave his four daughters the ridiculous names of Deliverance, Comfort, Safety and Sure-Hope. These days we call people who do this, “celebrities". Sadly, for protestant martyr Penry, he was hanged on this day in 1593.

Today is the birthday of Jodie Foster's most famous admirer, John Hinckley Jr.

Boris Yeltsin became President of Russia on this day in 1990. Yeltsin once told an audience in Stockholm that Bjorn Borg's face reminded him of meatballs. He was the the first leader in Russian and Soviet history to die quietly in retirement, having overseen a peaceful transition to his successor. He was also the first Russian leader to have his body preserved before he died.