Get On This Day delivered free to your inbox: br br br 1952 – Fulgencio Batista stages a coup in Cuba. br br & br br 1906 – The Courrières mine disaster, Europe's worst ever, kills 1099 miners in Northern France. br br br br br 1876 – Graham Bell successfully tests his telephone for the first time. br br & br br br 1940 – Chuck Norris is born.