The Holy Roman Emperor Francis II abdicated today in 1806. That was because Napoleon told him that he wasn't Holy, nor Roman, nor much of an Emperor. So he threw his toys out of his pram and went home.
In other news ...
'Old Sparky' came to life today in 1890, the first time the contraption was used for an execution. The 'sitter' was the murderer William Kemmler and the place was New York. Under certain conditions, the new 'humane' method could take up to eleven minutes to bring about the death of the convicted felon.
