1401 – Turko-Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) destroys Baghdad, killing 20,000
1540 – King Henry VIII of England annuls his marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
1553 – Lady Jane Grey, daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, is proclaimed queen of England in succession to Edward VI, who died three days earlier having proclaimed both his half-sisters illegitimate. She reigned for nine days before being deposed by Mary Tudor, who had Jane executed the following February.
1572 – 19 Catholic priests hanged in Gorcum
1755 – French and Indian War: Braddock Expedition: British troops and colonial militiamen are ambushed and suffer a devastating defeat by French and Native American forces.
1776 – George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read out loud to members of the Continental Army in New York, New York, for the first time.
1790 – Russo-Swedish War: Second Battle of Svensksund – in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian fleet.
1793 – The Act Against Slavery is passed in Upper Canada and the importation of slaves into Lower Canada is prohibited.
1795 – James Swan pays off the $2,024,899 US national debt
James Swan (1754 – 31 July 1830) was a colorful personality based in Boston in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was a member of the Sons of Liberty and participated in the Boston Tea Party. Swan was twice wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill, he next became secretary of the Massachusetts Board of War and the legislature. During the time he held that office, he drew heavily on his private funds to aid the Continental Army, which was then in dire need of funds to arm and equip the soldiers who were arriving in Boston from all parts of New England. After the American Revolution Swan privately assumed the entire United States French debts at a slightly higher interest rate. Swan then resold these debts at a profit on domestic U.S. markets. The United States no longer owed money to foreign governments, although it continued to owe money to private investors both in the United States and in Europe. This allowed the young United States to place itself on a sound financial footing. On principles of loyalty, he spent 22 years—more than a quarter of his life—in a Paris prison.
1811 – Explorer David Thompson posts a sign at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers (in modern Washington state, US), claiming the land for the United Kingdom.
1815 – 1st natural gas well in US is discovered
1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain
1819 – Elias Howe, American inventor, invented the sewing machine (d. 1867) was born.
1846 – Capt Montgomery claims Yerba Buena (SF) for US
1850 – U.S. President Zachary Taylor 12th US president (1849-50), dies in White House at 65; Vice President Millard Fillmore, becomes President upon Taylor’s death.
1868 – The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified guaranteeing African Americans full citizenship and all persons in the United States due process of law.
1877 – First ever Wimbledon tennis championship begins – first offical lawn tennis tournament – men’s singles only
1900 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom gives Royal Assent to an Act creating Australia thus uniting separate colonies on the continent under one federal government.
1900 – Boxer Rebellion: The Governor of Shanxi province in North China orders the execution of 45 foreign Christian missionaries and local church members, including children.
1903 – Future Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin is exiled to Siberia for three years.
1910 – Walter Brookins becomes 1st to pilot an airplane to 1 mile altitude
1918 – Great Train Wreck of 1918: In Nashville, Tennessee, an inbound local train collides with an outbound express killing 101 and injuring 171 people, making it the deadliest rail accident in United States history.
1932 – Donald Rumsfeld, American captain and politician, 13th United States Secretary of Defense was birthed.
1932 – Washington Redskins (then Boston Braves) formed
1932 – King C. Gillette, American businessman, founded The Gillette Company (b. 1855) died.
1932 – The state of São Paulo revolts against the Brazilian Federal Government, starting the Constitutionalist Revolution
1942 – Richard Roundtree, New Rochelle NY, actor (Getting Even, Shaft) Born
1944 – World War II: Battle of Normandy: British and Canadian forces capture Caen, France.
1944 – World’s largest circus tent catches fire at Ringling Brother’s – Barnum & Bailey 2nd performance, 168 die (Hartford Conn)
1945 – Dean R[ay] Koontz, US, sci-fi author (Star Quest, Beastchild) Born
1946 – Bon Scott,[Ronald Belford], Kirriemuir Scotland – singer-songwriter (AC/DC, Fraternity, The Valentines, and The Spektors) (d. 1980) was born.
1947 – Mitch Mitchell, English drummer (The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Dirty Mac, and The Riot Squad) (d. 2008) was born.
1947 – O. J. Simpson, American football player and actor was birthed.
1947 – Spain votes for Franco monarchy
1951 – US President Harry Truman asks Congress to formally end state of war with Germany
1954 – Kevin O’Leary, Canadian entrepreneur, investor (Shark Tank, Dragon’s Den) was born.
1955 – First black executive on White House staff (E Frederic Morrow)
1955 – The Russell-Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London.
1956 – Dick Clark’s 1st appearance as host of American Bandstand
1957 – [Peter] Marc Almond, Merseyside England, vocalist (Soft Cell) Born
1959 – Jim Kerr, Glasgow Scotland, rock vocalist (Simple Minds) Born
1964 – Courtney Love, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (Hole) was birthed.
1965 – Jason Rhoades, American installation artist (d. 2006) Born
1959 – Kevin Nash, American wrestler and actor was born.
1962 – Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans exhibition opens at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles.
1965 – Frank Bello, American bass player (Anthrax and Helmet) was born.
1971 – Henry Kissinger visits China PR (in secret)
1972 – Springhill Massacre: British snipers shoot dead five Catholic civilians and wounded two others in Springhill, Belfast. – The ceasefire between the Provisional IRA and the British Army comes to an end
1974 – Earl Warren, governor of California/Supreme court justice (1953-68), Oversaw JFK cover-up – dies at 83
1975 – Jack White, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, and The Go) was born.
1976 – Uganda asks UN to condemn Israeli hostage rescue raid on Entebbe
1978 – American Nazi Party holds a rally at Marquette Park, Chicago
1979 – A car bomb destroys a Renault motor car owned by the famed “Nazi hunters” Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
1981 – Donkey Kong, a video game created by Nintendo, is released. The game marks the debut of Nintendo’s future mascot, Mario.
1982 – Pan Am Boeing 727 crashes in Kenner La, killing 153
1984 – Jacob Hoggard, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (Hedley) was born.
1986 – Attorney General’s Commission on pornography links hard-core porn to sex crimes
1986 – The New Zealand parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Bill legalising consensual sex between men aged 16 and older
1987 – Colonel Oliver North admits to shredding Iran-Contra evidence
1989 – Two bombs explode in Mecca, killing one pilgrim and wounding 16 others
1991 – South Africa readmitted to Olympics
1991 – Spencer Elden, Baby/Model on Nirvana (band)’s Nevermind album, born
1993 – Will Rogers Jr, (Rep-D)/actor (Boy from Okla), commits suicide at 81
1993 – The Parliament of Canada passes the Nunavut Act leading to the 1999 creation of Nunavut, dividing the Northwest Territories into arctic (Inuit) and sub-arctic (Dene) lands based on a plebiscite.
1994 – William “Sabby” Lewis, jazz Pianist/Arranger, dies at 79
1995 – Former South Africa President F. W. de Klerk is implicated of knowing and condoning a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign that was waged against the ANC between 1990 and the 1994 election in a bid to destabilise the organisation
1996 – US Senate approves 90 cent raise to $4.25 minimum wage
1997 – Mike Tyson is banned from boxing for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear
1999 – Days of student protests begin after Iranian police and hardliners attack a student dormitory at the University of Tehran.
2000 – Police fired tear gas at fans during a World Cup qualifying soccer game between Zimbabwe and South Africa, setting off a stampede that killed twelve people in Harare, Zimbabwe
2002 – The African Union is established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The first chairman is Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa.
2002 – Rod Steiger, American actor (b. 1925) Dies
2011 – South Sudan gains independence and secedes from Sudan.
2011 – Würzel, English guitarist (Motörhead) (b. 1949) died.
2014 – Joko Widodo is elected president of Indonesia
2014 – Spokesperson for Medical Aid for Palestinians claims that at least 7 children have been killed by Israeli air strikes