Fortuitous is a formal word that usually describes something that comes or happens by a lucky chance. It can also mean “happening by chance” and “fortunate, lucky.”
☰Thought of the Day
"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein
- Susette Gontard, German muse to German poet Friedrich Hölderlin and inspiration for Hölderlin's novel Hyperion, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1802)
- Erich von Drygalski, German geographer, glaciologist and polar explorer, born in Königsberg, East Prussia (d. 1949)
- Vsevolod Meyerhold [Karl Kasimir Theodor], Russian theatrical director and actor (Houligan), born in Penza Oblast, Russian Empire (d. 1940)
- Harald Genzmer, German composer, born in Blumenthal, Germany (d. 2007)
- Burkhard Heim, German physicist (Heim theory), born in Potsdam, Germany (d. 2001)
- Barry Mann [Imberman], American pop songwriter ("You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling"), and singer ("Who Put the Bomp In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp"), born in Brooklyn, New York City
- J. M. Coetzee, South African novelist, born in Cape Town, South Africa
- Mohammed Valli Moosa, South African politician and veteran of the freedom struggle, born in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London
- Walter Hill's crime drama film "The Warriors", based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel, is released in the United States, sparking gang violence at many theaters and a halt to the film's marketing campaign
- Spacecraft Galileo flies by Venus at an altitude of 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in a gravity assist maneuver to gain speed on its way to Jupiter
- "Bradys" return to TV for 6 episodes on CBS TV
- WHO team investigating origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan say it is "extremely unlikely" that it leaked from a local research lab
- Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 1957)
- Georg Trexler, German composer, choirmaster, and organist (St. Trinitatis, Leipzig, 1930-70), born in Pirna, Germany (d. 1979)
- Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2009)
- Alice Walker, American novelist (The Color Purple, Meridian), born in Putnam County, Georgia
- Rachel Bolan [James Southworth], American musician and songwriter (Skid Row), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey
