1701 – James Francis Edward Stuart, sometimes called the “Old Pretender”, becomes the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland.
1736 – Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Polish-Dutch physicist and engineer, invented the thermometer (b. 1686) died.
1776 – American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Harlem Heights is fought.
1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah begins.
1795 – The first occupation by United Kingdom of Cape Colony, South Africa with the Battle of Hout Bay, after successive victories at the Battle of Muizenberg and Wynberg, after William V requested protection against revolutionary France’s occupation of the Netherlands.
1812 – The Fire of Moscow begins shortly after midnight and destroys three quarters of the city days later.
1893 – Settlers make a land run for prime land in the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma.
1898 – H. A. Rey, American author and illustrator, co-created Curious George (d. 1977) was born.
1908 – The General Motors Corporation is founded.
1919 – The American Legion is incorporated.
1920 – The Wall Street bombing: a bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City – 38 are killed and 400 injured.
1925 – B.B. King, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer was born.
1927 – Peter Falk, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2011) was born.
1927 – Jack Kelly, American actor (d. 1992) was born.
1931 – As the world recession continues the British economy is heading for an all time low with thousands of ships rusting in harbors because there are no goods to export, the budget deficit continues to grow and currently stands at $600 million budget deficit this year.
1932 – Mahatma Gandhi begins his hunger strike in opposition to Britain new Caste Separation Laws
1940 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, requiring all men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register with local draft boards ( Later Changed to 18 to 45 ), becoming the first peacetime military draft in United States history . (Almost like they new we would be joining the war more than a year before Pearl Harbor)
1941 – World War II: Concerned that Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, is about to ally his petroleum-rich empire with Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union invade Iran in late August and force the Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
1943 – World War II: The Allied invasion of Italy concludes when Heinrich von Vietinghoff, commander of the German Tenth Army, orders his troops to withdraw from Salerno.
1945 – World War II: The surrender of the Japanese troops in Hong Kong is accepted by Royal Navy Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt.
1956 – David Copperfield, [Kotkin], Metuchen, New Jersey, magician Born
1956 – Mickey Rourke, American boxer/actor (Wild Orchid, Barfly) Born
1958 – Jennifer Tilly, Los Angeles California, actress (Let it Ride, Off Beat, Psycho II) Born
1959 – The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration on live television from New York City.
1960 – Ean Evans, American bass player (Lynyrd Skynyrd and Outlaws) (d. 2009) was born.
1961 – The United States National Hurricane Research Project drops eight cylinders of silver iodide into the eyewall of Hurricane Esther. Wind speed reduces by 10%, giving rise to Project Stormfury.
1963 – Beatles release “She Loves You” in U.S.A. which goes to Number 1 on on March 21st 1964 and staying number 1 for 2 weeks. “She Loves You” helps set a record in the United States by being one of the five Beatles songs which held the top five positions in the American charts simultaneously.
1970 – King Hussein of Jordan declares military rule following the hijacking of four civilian airliners by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). This results in the formation of the Black September Palestinian paramilitary unit.
1971 – Amy Poehler, American comedian (Saturday Night Live)Born
1977 - Marc Bolan, rock vocalist/guitarist (T Rex), dies in a car crash at 29
1987 – The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion.
1992 – The trial of the deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega ends in the United States with a 40 year sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering.
1993 – Willie Mosconi, world billiards champ, dies of heart attack at 80
1994 – The British government lifts the broadcasting ban imposed against members of Sinn Féin and Irish paramilitary groups in 1988.
1996 – McGeorge Bundy, “Skull n Bones” US national security advisor (1961-66), dies at 77
2007 – Mercenaries working for Blackwater Worldwide allegedly shoot and kill 17 Iraqis in Nisour Square, Baghdad; all criminal charges against them are later dismissed, sparking outrage in the Arab world.
2013 – A gunman kills twelve people at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.