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Today in History in 1881 "Greatest Show On Earth" was formed by PT Barnum and James A. Bailey; in 1944 Astrid Lindgren sprained an ankle and began writing Pippi Longstocking; and in 1972 Wilt Chamberlain played his last pro basketball game.

Our on this day in 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

364 - Roman Emperor Valentinian I apoints his brother Flavius Valens co-emperor.

845 - Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.

1854 - Britain & France declare war on Russia (Crimean War)

1881 - "Greatest Show On Earth" was formed by PT Barnum & James A Bailey

1939 - Spanish Civil War ends, Madrid falls to Francisco Franco

1944 - Astrid Lindgren sprains ankle & begins writing Pippi Longstocking

1946 - Cold War: The United States State Department releases the Acheson-Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.

1972 - Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game

2013 - Pope Francis becomes the first Pope to wash the feet of women in the Maundy Thursday service

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