In 1889, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France completes construction. Named after famed French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel, the lattice tower took a little over two years to finish building. Its design and colossal height both served as points of contention among French artists, who believed that erecting this structure was not only impossible but also an eye sore. At this point in history, the Eiffel Tower, if completed, would be the tallest building in the world. Determined, Eiffel and his company completed the tower in preparation for the 1889 Paris Exposition. It was completed on the centennial of the French Revolution. The tower has since gained global recognition.
In 1995, Mexican-American popstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez, also known simply as Selena, is gunned down by the president of her own fan club in Texas. Yolanda Saldivar received the role following a viewing of Selena at a concert and noticed that there weren’t enough souvenirs of the pop icon. As years went on, Saldivar got closer to Selena; she was even on the verge of becoming a business associate. However, it was discovered that Saldivar had been forging checks from both the fan club and the boutique business accounts, embezzling around $60,000 in total. She continued to deny the accusations, causing frequent infighting between Saldivar and the business, including Selena herself. However, Selena reportedly kept Saldivar employed pending on a replacement. Following this confrontation, Saldivar was said to have purchased the revolver used in Selena’s murder at a gun store in San Antonio. After an argument regarding missing financial statements, Saldivar used the revolver to shoot Selena point-blank in her lower-right shoulder. She died in the hospital at around 1:00 p.m. on this day from severe internal bleeding at the age of 23. Saldivar was convicted of first-degree murder and is currently serving time at a women’s prison in Gatesville, TX.