It is March 6th, and 549 years ago today Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born in the Republic of Florence. Known simply as Michelangelo, he was a sculptor, a painter, an architect and a poet. Widely regarded as the greatest sculptor in history, his works can certainly be said to have stood the test of time. But, of course, over that time, things continued to occur on March 6.
By September of 1944, the Western Allies had broken out of the Normandy beachehead, and suddenly and quickly moved across northern France . By September 7th, the 90th division was stretched across the northern sector on Patton’s Third Army’s left, advancing slowly northeast. As they did so the German defenders made a risky attack in an effort to spoil the allied advance, cutting through Allied lines in a surprise action at the small town of Mairy-Mannville.