Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and began to work as a sports broadcaster in Iowa. In 1937, he moved to California, and became a well-known film actor there. From 1947 to 1952, and from 1959 to 1960, Reagan served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild. He was defeated in his run for the Republican presidential nomination in the 1968 election as well as the 1976 election, but won both the nomination and election in the 1980 election. As president, Reagan implemented new political initiatives as well as economic policies, advocating a laissez-faire philosophy, but the extent to which these ideas were implemented is debatable. The policies, dubbed "Reaganomics", included substantial tax cuts implemented in 1981. (Full article...)
1914 – Around 2,000 members of European society attended a ball at Kenwood House, England, in one of the last major social events before the outbreak of the First World War.
Zhou Fang was a Chinese painter during the Tang dynasty, living in the capital of Chang'an (modern Xi'an) during the 8th century. He came from a noble background and this was reflected in his works. He personally painted for the emperor and the themes of his artwork covered religious subjects and everyday life. This ink-and-color-on-silk painting, titled Court Ladies Playing Double-sixes, measures 30.5 cm × 69.1 cm (12.0 in × 27.2 in) and depicts members of the emperor's household playing the board game liubo. It now hangs in the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
