On This Day for 10/15 - I Love Lucy debuts on American TV; Queen Victoria proposes to her cousin, Prince Albert; and more

Don't miss an issue of On This Day! Simply add [customerservice@eb.com]( to your address book. On This Day October 15 Discover the Fastest Route to Britannica - [EB.com]( Biography of the Day [John L. Sullivan.]( [John L. Sullivan]( American prizefighter [John L. Sullivan]( born on this day in 1858, was one of the most popular heavyweight champions and a symbol of the bare-knuckle era of [boxing]( that effectively ended with his knockout of Jake Kilrain in 1889. Who else was born today? Find out with the newest version of [our best-selling software! >>]( On This Day [Mount Shinn (right) and Mount Tyree (left), in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica.]( 1959: Final conference on Antarctic Treaty On this day in 1959, a final conference on the [Antarctic Treaty]( convened in Washington, D.C., and, after six weeks of negotiations, the treaty was signed by 12 countries, preserving the [continent]( for free scientific study. Explore more key moments in history for just $39.95 [Learn more >>]( [Sign up now]( for our monthly newsletter, showcasing articles hand-picked by our editors! More Events On This Day 2003: China became the third country to launch a manned [spaceflight]( [Shenzhou]( 5, which was piloted by [Yang Liwei]( orbited Earth 14 times during the 21-hour flight. 1993: [The obverse side of the Nobel Prize medal for Peace.]( Africans [Nelson Mandela]( and [F.W. de Klerk]( were named the recipients of the [Nobel Peace Prize]( "for their work for the peaceful termination of the [apartheid]( regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic [South Africa]( 1987: [Burkina Faso]( military coup in [Burkina Faso]( overthrew head of state [Thomas Sankara]( killing him and eight others. 1969: Cabdirashiid Cali Shermaʾarke (Abdirashid Ali Shermarke) of [Somalia]( was assassinated. 1951: [Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz portraying Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, the main characters of I Love Lucy.]( first episode of [I Love Lucy]( aired on American television; the comedy series—which starred [Lucille Ball]( and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz—became a classic. 1934: [Mao Zedong, 1965.]( [communists]( began the [Long March]( the 6,000-mile (10,000-km) trek that resulted in the relocation of the communist revolutionary base from southeast China to northwest China and the emergence of [Mao Zedong]( as the undisputed leader of the [Chinese Communist Party](. 1844: Classical scholar and philosopher [Friedrich Nietzsche]( was born in Prussia. 1839: [Queen Victoria]( by her uncle Leopold, Queen [Victoria]( of England proposed to her cousin, Prince [Albert](. 879: [Boso]( convoked the bishops of [Provence]( and had them proclaim him their king. 70 BCE: [Virgil (centre) holding a scroll with a quotation from the Aeneid.…]( the Roman poet best known for his national epic, the [Aeneid]( was born near Mantua. A Great Gift Idea from The Britannica Store [1768 Encyclopaedia Britannica Replica Set]( The handsome three-volume reproduction is so beautifully executed that it's almost indistinguishable from the 1768 original, right down to the natural age spots and watermarks on the pages. A must-have for collectors of history or vintage books, the set lends an unmistakable air of prestige to any home or office. [Get yours today]( Our Best-Selling Software! the world's most trusted and authoritative information for [only $39.95](. Britannica on Facebook a fan]( on Facebook and get updated Britannica content in your news feed! Britannica on Twitter @Britannica]( and enjoy daily tweets relating to the news stories of the day! [Home]( [Advocacy for Animals]( [Newsletters]( [Feedback]( [Help]( Please note that if you do not open or click on any On This Day email during any consecutive 14-day period, we reserve the right to remove your address from the active mailing list. This policy does not apply to RSS feeds. Share: Was this message forwarded to you? [Click here]( and we'll start sending you the On This Day newsletters. This message has been sent to {EMAIL}. To unsubscribe [click here](. To unsubscribe by postal mail, send your request to: Encyclopaedia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle St. - Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60654 US ATTN: Customer Service - On This Day © 2017 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [Privacy Policy]( — [Help](