Historical Events1936 - International communist conference members in Prague arrange create International Brigades to help the Republican Government in the Spanish Civil War1953 - Cuban pirate radio station's first transmission in Santiago de Cuba1963 - US Syncom 2, the first geosynchronous communications satellite, launches1965 - Republic of Maldives gains independence from Britain (National Day)1978 - 11th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at El Cortez HotelMore Historical Events Famous Birthdays1829 - Auguste Beernaert, 14th Prime Minister of Belgium (1884-94) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1909, born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 1912)1909 - Vivian Vance [Jones], American stage and screen actress (I Love Lucy - "Ethel Mertz"; The Lucy Show - "Viv"), born in Cherryvale, Kansas (d. 1979)1917 - Bertil Nordahl, Swedish soccer midfielder and manager (15 caps; Atalanta; Olympic gold 1948), born in Hrnefors, Sweden (d. 1998)1944 - Rimantas Stankeviius, Lithuanian cosmonaut, born in Marijampol, Lithuania (d. 1990)1969 - Jonty Rhodes, South African cricket batsman (brilliant fielder), born in Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaMore Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths1728 - John Friend, physician/politician, dies1925 - Gottlob Frege, German mathematician and logician (Begriffsschrift), dies at 761960 - Maud Menten, Canadian biochemist known for the MichaelisMenten equation for enzyme kinetics, dies at 811996 - Arthur McDonald, Royal Air Force officer and radar pioneer, dies at 932012 - Franz West, Austrian artist, dies at 65More Famous Deaths