John Ringling North, a famous circus director who co-founded the Ringling Brothers Circus, was born on this day in 1903.

Did you know that:

• The Mainz archbishop commissioned the psalter, the oldest known exactly dated printed book, on this day in 1457
• Ernest Just, a famous biologist who pioneered cell division, was born on this day in 1883
• Pakistan gained independence on this day in 1947

// Compiled by Zoya Siddiqui