Historical Events1854 - Great Britain and Orange Free state sign Convention of Bloemfontein1966 - Military coup in Syria ends Bitar government2007 - A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.2014 - 56th Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks a 55-race winless streak to win his 2nd Great American Race2019 - Sri Lanka becomes first Asian cricket team to clinch a Test series in South Africa chasing down 197 in the 2nd Test in Port Elizabeth; Kusal Mendis 84no, Oshada Fernando 75noMore Historical Events Famous Birthdays1615 - Nicolas Fouquet, French politician and Superintendent of Finances (1653-61) who became fabulously wealthy and later imprisoned for maladministration of state funds, born in Paris (d. 1680)1744 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German Jewish banker and founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty, born in Frankfurt (d. 1812)1803 - John Sutter, German-Swiss-American colonist who established Sutter's Fort in what is now Sacramento and where gold was first discovered in California, born in Kandern, Margraviate of Baden, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1880)1933 - Donna J. Stone, American poet (Wielder of Words), born in Ohio (d. 1994)1947 - Shakira Caine, British-Guyanese actress and model (Man Who Would Be King), born in St. Cuthbert's Mission, British GuianaMore Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths1792 - Joshua Reynolds, English portrait painter (Simplicity), dies at 681974 - Florence Rice, American actress (Fast Company, Double Wedding, Riding on Air), dies from lung cancer at 672012 - Bruce Surtees, American cinematographer (Dirty Harry, Lenny), dies at 742016 - Lennie Baker, American rock saxophonist musician (Sha Na Na, 1970-99), dies at 692020 - Stefan Florenski, Polish soccer defender (11 caps; Grnik Zabrze), dies at 86More Famous Deaths