On this date in history: (2013) Irish actor Peter O’Toole, who captivated audiences with performances that showcased his versatility in roles ranging from classical drama to contemporary farce during a seven-decade stage and screen career, died at age 81. (2012) A mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, left 28 people dead, including 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary School and the 20-year-old shooter, Adam Lanza. (1993) The dramatic film Philadelphia, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, had its world premiere; it was the first major Hollywood film to address the AIDS crisis, and Hanks won an Oscar for his performance. (1985) Wilma Mankiller became the first woman ever to serve as chief of a major Native American tribe when she was sworn in as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. (1911) One of the greatest figures in the history of polar exploration was Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who left Norway for Antarctica in June 1910 and on this day in 1911 became the first person to reach the South Pole. (1895) George VI, who became king of the United Kingdom on December 11, 1936, following the abdication of the throne by his brother Edward VIII, was born. (1799) George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, died at age 67. (1568) The Casket Letters, found to be damaging to the career of Mary, Queen of Scots, were produced at Westminster before a body of English commissioners appointed by Queen Elizabeth I. (1503) French astrologer and physician Nostradamus, the most widely read seer of the Renaissance, was born.