The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, a nation of about 30,000 people surrounded by Italy, celebrates its founding today. A constitutional republic since 1600, which is a fact that would mark it as one of the oldest nations in the world were it not for this: it dates its founding as a sovereign nation to September 3, 301 A.D., when it separated itself from the Roman Empire. It has been a nation for 1715 years since.

It is one of the most picturesque nations on our planet, as its 24 square miles sits in the Apennine Mountains with a view of the surrounding countryside. San Marino is the only nation with more cars than people.

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The Treaty of Paris (full title: The Definitive Treaty of Peace Between Great Britain and the United States of America) was signed on this date in 1783. With it, Great Britain and the United States of America ended the Revolutionary War and Britain officially acknowledged the existence of an independent United States of America. Britain granted almost everything the American negotiators required and even helped enlarge America’s boundaries beyond what yet had been created.

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E. E. Cummings died on this date in 1962. Vince Lombardi died in 1970 on this date. Frank Capra died 25 years ago today. Pauline Kael died 15 years ago today.

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Loren Eiseley was born on this date in 1907. Kitty Carlisle was born on this date in 1910. The late Anne Jackson was born on this date in 1925. (She died in April.) Freddie King was born 82 years ago today.

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Mort Walker, who created the comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois and is still said to oversee the day-to-day creation of those strips, is 93 today. Alison Lurie is 90 today. Dick Motta is 85. Caryl Churchill is 78. Al Jardine is 74. Valerie Perrine is 73. Steve Jones is 61. Charlie Sheen is 51. John Fugelsang is 47. Shaun White is 30.

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