Get On This Day delivered free to your inbox: br br br 2008 – Muntadhar al-Zaidi throws his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq. br br br br 1911 – Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen becomes the first man to reach the South Pole. br br br br br br 1994 – Construction begins on the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river. It is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity. br br br br br 1946 – Jane Birkin, British-French actress and singer, is born.