George IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Hanover from 29 January 1820. He had earlier served as Prince Regent when his father, George III, suffered from a relapse into insanity from porphyria.The Regency (George's nine-year tenure as Regent, which commenced in 1811 and ended with George III's death in 1820) was marked by a victory in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. George was a stubborn monarch, often interfering in politics (especially in the matter of Catholic Emancipation), though not as much as his father. For most of George's regency and reign, Lord Liverpool controlled the government as Prime Minister. George is often remembered as an extravagant prince and monarch. He had a poor relationship with both his father and his wife, Caroline of Brunswick, even excluding her from his own coronation. He was a patron of the arts; his regency and reign were graced by such literary figures as George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron and Jane Austen. George was responsible for the building of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1792: By the Coinage Act, the U.S. Mint was founded and the U.S. currency was decimalised. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Mint)

1801: British forces led by Horatio Nelson defeated the Dano-Norwegian fleet in the Battle of Copenhagen. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Copenhagen_%281801%29)

1956: As the World Turns premiered on U.S. television as the first half-hour serial drama. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_the_World_Turns)

1982: Falklands War: Argentine special forces began the invasion of the Falkland Islands. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_invasion_of_the_Falkland_Islands)

1992: John Gotti, the crime boss of the Gambino crime family, was convicted of racketeering, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, loansharking, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling and tax evasion. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gotti)

_____________________ Wikiquote of the day:

"Whether it is happy or unhappy, a man's life is the only treasure he can ever possess." -- Giacomo Casanova (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Giacomo_Casanova)