Samuel Lafayette Stewart (born 1822)

In 1822, in the year that Samuel Lafayette Stewart was born, on May 26th, 116 people died in the Grue Church fire - the biggest fire disaster in Norway's history. On Pentecost, the church was packed and a fire broke out on the outer wall of the southern transept. Within 15 minutes, the whole church was on fire and it burned to the ground. Almost half of the dead were under 16 and the cause of the fire is still unknown.

In 1885, on January 24th, the Fenians - Irish Nationalists - set off dynamite bombs in the House of Commons chamber, Westminster Hall, and the Tower of London. Four civilians and two policemen were injured.

In 1918, following European countries, Daylight Saving Time went into effect in the United States in March. It was an effort to conserve fuel needed to produce electric power. This was a war effort and proved unpopular so in most areas of the United States, Daylight Saving Time ended after World War I. It returned during World War II.

In 1979, on November 4th, Iranian militant students seized the US embassy in Teheran and held 52 American citizens and diplomats hostage for 444 days. They were released at the end of the inauguration speech of the newly elected Ronald Reagan.

In 1988, on December 16th, 1988 the popular film Rain Man was released. Featuring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. this film brought attention to autistic savants and was based on the "megasavant" Laurence Kim Peek. The film would later go to win four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.