1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
1727 – Peter II becomes Czar of Russia.
1733 – The right of Canadians to keep Indian slaves is upheld at Quebec City.
1736 – Patrick Henry, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of Virginia (d. 1799) was born.
1780 – American Revolutionary War: At the Battle of Waxhaws, the British continue attacking after the Continentals lay down their arms, killing 113 and critically wounding all but 53 that remained.
1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of the original United States’ colonies to ratify the Constitution and is admitted as the 13th U.S. state.
1798 – United Irishmen Rebellion: Between 300 and 500 United Irishmen are massacred by the British Army in County Kildare, Ireland.
1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
1841 – Sylvester Magee, last living American slave and oldest person who ever lived, (d. 1971)
1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.
1903 – Bob Hope, English-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2003) was born.
1903 – In the May coup d’état, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997) Born
1914 – Stacy Keach, Sr., American actor (d. 2003) Born
1914 – The Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with the loss of 1,024 lives.
1917 – John F. Kennedy, American lieutenant and politician, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963) was born.
1932 – World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
1941 – Bob Simon, American journalist (d. 2015) was born.
1942 – Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra record Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the best-selling single in history.
1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882) was born.
1945 – Gary Brooker, English singer-songwriter and pianist (Procol Harum and The Paramounts) was born.
1948 – Creation of the United Nations “peacekeeping” force the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.
1951 – Fanny Brice, Zeigfield Girl (Baby Snooks Show), dies at 59
1953 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay’s (adopted) 39th birthday.
1953 – Danny Elfman, composer (Simpson Show Theme, Tim Burton films), born in Los Angeles, California
1954 – First of the annual Bilderberg conferences.
1955 – John Hinckley, Jr., American (alleged) attempted assassin of Ronald Reagan was birthed.
1956 – Larry Blackmon, rocker (Cameo-Alligator Woman) Born
1958 – Annette Bening, Topeka KS, actress (Grifters, Bugsy, Valmont, American Beauty) born
1963 – Blaze Bayley, English singer-songwriter (Iron Maiden and Wolfsbane) was born.
1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
1967 – Noel Gallagher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist was born.
1967 – Steven Levitt, American economist was born.
1969 – Chan Kinchla, Canadian guitarist (Blues Traveler) was born.
1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (b. 1892) died.
1979 - Casey Sheehan, American soldier; son of Cindy Sheehan (d. 2004) Born
1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
1988 – The U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
1989 – John Cipollina, American musician (Quicksilver Messenger Service) (b. 1943) Dies
1989 – Danielle Riley Keough, grand daughter of Elvis Presley, Born
1990 – The Russian parliament elects Boris Yeltsin as president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
1994 – Ezra Taft Benson, min of Agr/leader of mormon (1985-94), dies at 94
1994 – Oliver “Bops Junior” Jackson, drummer, dies at 61
1995 – Margaret Chase Smith, 1st woman Rep & Sen (R-Me), dies at 97
1996 – James George “Jimmy” Rowles, jazz pianist, dies at 77
1997 – Jeff Buckley, American musician and singer ( “Hallelujah”), drowns at 30
1998 – Barry M. Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona and presidential candidate (b. 1909) Dies
2004 – Archibald Cox, Watergate special prosecutor (b. 1912) dies
1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
2004 – The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
2007 – Posteal Laskey, American convicted murderer widely believed to be the Cincinnati Strangler, dies of natural causes (b. 1938)
2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor: Carol Burnett Show (b. 1927) Dies
2009 – Karine Ruby, French snowboarder and Olympic champion (b. 1978) Dies
2010 – Dennis Hopper, American actor (Blue Velvet, True Romance, Easy Rider…), director, and screenwriter (b. 1936) died.
2011 – Bill Clements, (corrupt) Governor of Texas (b. 1917) dies
2012 – Doc Watson, American bluegrass musician, dies from complications following surgery at 89