326 – Alexander of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria, dies
1397 – Geoffrey Chaucer tells The Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387) as the start of the book’s pilgrimage to Canterbury.
1492 – Spain and Christopher Columbus sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices.
1521 – Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day.
1741 – Samuel Chase, judge (signed Decl of Ind) Dies
1790 – Benjamin Franklin, US, US Founding Father, inventor ambassador and writer (Poor Richards Almanac), dies at 84
1820 – Alexander Cartwright, American firefighter, invented Baseball (d. 1892) was born.
1837 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (d. 1913) was birthed.
1838 – J Schopenhauer, writer, dies at 71
1861 – The state of Virginia’s secession convention votes to secede from the United States, becoming the 8th state to join the Confederate States of America.
1863 – American Civil War: Grierson’s Raid begins – troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.
1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins – Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.
1882 – George Jennings, English engineer and plumber, invented the Flush toilet (b. 1810) died.
1897 – The Aurora, Texas UFO incident
1905 – The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the “right to free contract” is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
1907 – The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.
1912 – Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.
1935 – Bud Paxson, American broadcaster, founded Home Shopping Network and Pax TV (d. 2015) was born.
1937 – Daffy Duck’s first appearance, in Porky’s Duck Hunt.
1944 – Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People’s Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.
1945 – World War II: Brazilian forces liberate the town of Montese, Italy, from Nazi forces.
1946 – Syria obtains its independence from the French occupation.
1948 – Jan Hammer, Jazz Musician, composer (Escape from TV, Miami Vice) Born
1949 – At midnight 26 Irish counties officially leave the British Commonwealth. A 21-gun salute on O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, ushers in the Republic of Ireland.
1954 – Rowdy Roddy Piper, Canadian professional wrestler, actor (THEY LIVE) Born
1961 – Bay of Pigs Invasion: A group of Cuban exiles financed and trained by the CIA lands at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.
1960 – Eddie Cochran, rocker, dies at 21 in a car crash
1961 – Jimmy Stewart accepts an honorary Oscar on behalf of his friend Gary Cooper, who is too ill to attend
1964 – Ford Mustang is introduced to the North American market.
1964 – Maynard James Keenan, American singer-songwriter and producer (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, and Green Jellÿ) was born.
1967 – Red Allen, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1908) Dies
1969 – Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
1970 – Redman, American rapper, producer, and actor (Def Squad and Method Man & Redman) was born.
1970 – Apollo program: The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.
1973 – George Lucas begins writing the treatment for The Star Wars.
1974 – Victoria Beckham, English singer, actress, and fashion designer (Spice Girls) was birthed.
1974 – Herbert Elwell, US composer (Happy Hypocrite), dies at 75
1974 – Vinnie Taylor, rocker (Canned Heat), dies of a drug overdose
1982 – Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
1983 – India entered space age launching SLV-3 rocket
1987 – Carlton Barrett, Jamaican reggae drummer (“No Woman No Cry”), dies at 36
1987 – Julius Erving becomes 3rd NBA player to score 30,000 points
1990 – Ralph David Abernathy, US civil rights leader, dies
1992 – Hank Penny, country music singer, dies at 73 of heart failure
1993 – Two Los Angeles police officers convicted in federal court of violating Rodney King’s civil rights
1998 – Linda McCartney, American singer-songwriter, photographer, and activist (Wings) (b. 1941) died.
2001 – A letter between Gale Norton and Jeb Bush is released, stating that the Bush administration has decided to go ahead with plans to auction 6 million acres of potentially oil-and-gas-rich seabed in the Gulf of Mexico
2003 – Paul Getty, American-born philanthropist (b. 1932) Died
2003 – Earl King, American musician and songwriter (b. 1934) Died
2003 – Robert Atkins, American physician and cardiologist, created the Atkins diet (b. 1930) died.
2008 – Danny Federici, American organist and accordion player (E-Street Band) (b. 1950) died.
2012 – The St Cuthbert Gospel, Europe’s oldest intact book, purchased by the British Library for 9 million pounds
2013 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in New Zealand
2013 – An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others