in History
The father of French history draws breath
In Clermont-Ferrand, Gaul, Gregory was born into a prominent Gallo-Roman family. As Bishop of Tours, he would compose the History of the Franks, the indispensable chronicle of Merovingian life that earned him the title Father of French History. Without his vivid accounts of kings, saints, and miracles, much of early medieval France would remain shrouded in darkness.
A French mind that illuminated American culture
In Creteil, France, Jacques Barzun was born, destined to become one of America's most influential public intellectuals. Emigrating to the United States, he spent decades at Columbia University, writing with equal authority about education, baseball, detective fiction, and classical music. His magnum opus, From Dawn to Decadence, became a landmark of cultural history.
World War II: Signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1940 between the Empire of Japan and the newly formed Wang.
World War II: Signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1940 between the Empire of Japan and the newly formed Wang Jingwei-led Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China. This treaty was considered so unfair to China that it was compared to the Twenty-One Demands.