John Archibald Wheeler, a theoretical physicist who coined the terms black hole and wormhole, was born on this day in 1911.

Did you know that:

• An unsuccessful expedition led by E.D Young set out to search for Dr David Livingstone on this day in 1867
• American inventor Henry Tibbe patented an improved corncob pipe design on this day in 1878
• A patent for the “Portable Beam Generator”, also known as a hand-held laser ray gun, was granted to inventor Frederick R. Schellhammer on this day in 1968

// Compiled by Zoya Siddiqui