1510 Rome, Politics: Pope Julius II excommunicated the whole of the Republic of Venice. At the time Julius was allied to the French, trying to drive the Venetians out of the northern Italian region. He had changed sides several times to keep his enemies at bay. The Venetian Senate did not bother to inform the populace and in time with another changing alliance the excommunication was lifted.
1582 Rome, Technology: Pope Gregory XIII asserted the new calendar that still bears his name. It was devised by Luigi Lillo who reformed the Julian calendar. To make the change, later in the year the calendar moved from 4 October to 15 October to re-set the year, omitting Eisenhower’s birthday. The 29th of February as a corrective. This calendar remains in use.
1821 Igula (Mexico), Politics: Two leaders of a popular revolt Agustín de Iturbide and Vicente Guerro agreed that once the Spanish were driven out the independent country would be a monarchy, Roman Catholic, and based on equal rights. It set the foundation for the Mexico to come.
1977 President Jimmie Carter declared that US foreign aid will be allocated in part on guarantee of human rights. The gesture put human rights on the international agenda as never before. The White House, for a time, was off the Christmas card list of dictators here and there. Consistent with his beliefs, Carter extended a visa to the Shah with regrettable results. Consistency is no virtue in changing times. See the entry above about Venice.
1984 Sydney, Medicine: Dr Victor Chang performed first successful heart transplant in Australia. He was later murdered by three bunglers all of whom have served their time and are now free men, but Dr Chang is still dead, his children still without a father, and his widow a widow. She went to great pains to keep his name alive by raising money for medical care and research.
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