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Today in History in 1805 author of 150 fairy tales Hans Christian Andersen was born, in 1872 Samuel Morse developer of the electric telegraph, died at age 80; and in 1917 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany.

History archives contain over 200,000 events, birthdays and deaths from 6,000 years of history. Here is a roundup of a few of them:

HISTORICAL EVENTS

1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (İstanbul), which would fall on May 29.

1792 - The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 half-Eagle & 2.50 quarter-Eagle gold coins & silver dollar, ½ dollar, quarter, dime & half-dime

1801 - Napoleonic Wars: naval Battle of Copenhagen - The British led by Horatio Nelson destroy the Danish fleet.

1917 - Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-Mont) begins her term as 1st woman member of US House of Reps

1917 - US President Wilson asks Congress to declare war against Germany

1921 - Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new "Theory of Relativity"

1982 - Several thousand Argentine troops seize the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands from Great Britain

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