1649 – The claimant King Charles II of England and Scotland is declared King of Great Britain, by the Parliament of Scotland. This move was not followed by the Parliament of England nor the Parliament of Ireland.
1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland becomes King upon the death of his brother Charles II.
1756 – Aaron Burr, American politician, 3rd Vice President of the United States (d. 1836) was born.
1778 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the new republic.
1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
1820 – The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
1862 – American Civil War: forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player (d. 1948) was born.
1899 – Spanish–American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
1900 – The international arbitration court at The Hague is created when the Senate of the Netherlands ratifies an 1899 peace conference decree.
1908 – Edward Lansdale, American general and CIA agent (d. 1987) was born.
1918 – British women over the age of 30 get the right to vote.
1911 – Ronald Reagan, American actor and politician, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004) was born
1912 – Eva Braun, German wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945) was birthed.
1917 – Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hungarian-American actress and singer was born.
1922 – The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
1940 – Tom Brokaw, Yankton SD, news anchor (NBC Nightly News 1982- ) Born
1942 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Thailand.
1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist (Bob Marley and the Wailers) (d. 1981) was born.
1952 – Elizabeth II becomes queen regnant of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms upon the death of her father, George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a tree house at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.
1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
1962 – Axl Rose, American singer-songwriter and producer (Guns N’ Roses, Hollywood Rose, and Rapidfire) was born.
1963 – Kevin Trudeau, American entrepreneur – Born
1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (The Tragically Hip) was born.
1988 – Michael Jordan makes his signature slam dunk from the free throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
1989 – Chris Gueffroy, German man attempted to climb the Berlin Wall (b. 1968) died.
1993 – Arthur Ashe, tennis star (Wimbledon 1975), dies of AIDS at 49
1994 – Jack Kirby, American author and illustrator, (X-Men, Spiderman, Hulk), (b. 1917) died.
1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.
1998 – [Johann Hoelzel] Falco, singer (Rock Me Amadeus), dies at 40
1998 – Carl Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Beach Boys) (b. 1946) died.
2011 – Gary Moore, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (Skid Row and Thin Lizzy) (b. 1952) died.