New Settlement
1508 Spaniard Juan Ponce de León founds Caparra the first European settlement in Puerto Rico
Juan Ponce de León
- 1509 Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, marking the beginning of the regeneration of the Vijayanagara Empire in Southern India
- 1549 Henry II of France declares war on England and orders the siege of Boulogne
- 1567 Duke of Alva's army enters Brussels, Belgium
- 1570 Peace of Saint-Germain-and-Laye, more freedom for Huguenots
Event of Interest
1576 Cornerstone laid for Tycho Brahe's observatory in Uraniborg, Denmark, at the time world's most advanced research institution
Tycho Brahe
Event of Interest
1609 Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope
Galileo Galilei
- 1619 Duke Maximilian I & Emperor Ferdinand II signs Treaty of Munchen
- 1647 The Irish Confederate Wars and Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Dungans Hill - English Parliamentary forces defeat Irish forces.
- 1673 Dutch battle fleet of 23 ships demands surrender of NYC
- 1700 Denmark & Sweden sign peace treaty
- 1709 1st known ascent in hot-air balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao (indoors)
- 1758 British troops occupy & plunder Cherbourg
- 1786 US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America
- 1786 Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard are 1st to climb to top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe
- 1793 The insurrection of Lyon occurs during the French Revolution.
- 1794 Joseph Whidbey and George Vancouver lead an expedition to search for the Northwest Passage near Juneau, Alaska
- 1796 Boston African Society establishes with 44 members
- 1809 70 disciples of Gaon of Vilnius, arrive in Palestine
- 1814 Peace negotiations begin in Ghent, Belgium
- 1816 Bavaria joins Holy Alliance
- 1829 French government of De Polignac forms
- 1831 Battle of Hasselt - Dutch army drives out Belgians
- 1839 Beta Theta Pi is founded in Oxford, Ohio.
- 1843 Natal (in South Africa) is made a British colony
Event of Interest
1844 Brigham Young chosen as head of Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) following the death of Joseph Smith
Brigham Young
- 1853 Russian fleet appears at Nagasaki, Japan
- 1854 Smith & Wesson patents metal bullet cartridges
- 1860 Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC
- 1863 American Civil War: Tennessee's "military" Governor Andrew Johnson frees his personal slaves. Celebrated as a holiday by Tennessee African Americans (early 20th century)
- 1864 Comet C/1864 N1 (Tempel) approaches within 0.0964 AUs of Earth
- 1864 Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Gaines, Alabama
- 1868 Earthquake destroyes Arica, Chile
- 1870 Magic (US) defeats Cambria (England) in 2nd running of America's Cup
- 1870 The Republic of Ploieşti, a failed Radical-Liberal rising against Domnitor Carol of Romania.
- 1876 Dan O'Leacy completes 500 mile walk in 139h32m
Historic Invention
1876 Thomas Edison is granted the patent for Autographic Printing (US Patent 180,857)
Thomas Edison
- 1882 Snow falls on Lake Michigan
- 1898 Will Kellogg invents Corn Flakes
- 1900 1st International Lawn Tennis Challenge (precursor to Davis Cup) begins at Longwood Cricket Club in Massachusetts, won 3-0 by US over British Isles
- 1902 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Brooklyn, NY: Malcolm Whitman beats Reginald Doherty 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to give US a 3-2 win over the British Isles
- 1903 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Boston, MA: Laurence Doherty beats William Larned 6-3, 6-8, 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 to give British Isles an unassailable 3-1 lead over US (ends 4-1)
- 1903 In 11th an old black ball is put into play against Cleve, Tigers' Nap Lajoie protests ignored, he hurls ball out of park & forfeits game
- 1910 The US Army installs the first tricycle landing gear on the Army's Wright Flyer.
- 1911 The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire.
- 1911 Public Law 62-5 sets the number of representatives in the United States House of Representatives at 435. The law would come into effect in 1913.
- 1913 Richard Corfields "Camel Corps" opens "Mad Mullah" in Burao Somalia
Historic Expedition
1914 3rd pole expedition Ernest Shackleton "Endurance"
Ernest Shackleton
- 1914 French troops under Gen Bonneau occupy Mulhouse at Elzas
- 1914 Montenegro declares war on Germany
- 1916 A's set AL record with 19th consecutive loss on road
- 1918 World War I: The Allies launch the Hundred Days Offensive, beginning with the Battle of Amiens where 500 tanks and 10 Allied divisions attacked German lines
- 1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi, British recognise Afghanistan's independence
- 1920 Tigers beat Yanks 1-0 in shortest AL game, 73 minutes
- 1922 Pirates set record of 46 hits in a doubleheader (against Phillies)
- 1924 British-Russian trade agreement signed
- 1925 1st national march of Ku Klux Klan (between 25,000 and 40,000 marchers) in Washington, D.C.
Hindenburg Disaster Ends the Age of Zeppelins
1929 German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight
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- 1929 Salem Oregon airport dedicated
- 1930 St Louis Cards are 12 games back in NL, & go on to win pennant
- 1931 Wash Senator Bob Burke no-hits Boston Red Sox, 5-0
- 1936 A Finnish quinella in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Berlin Olympics; Volmari Iso-Hollo beats team mate Kaarlo Tuominen in world record time (9:03.8)
- 1936 American Glenn Morris' decathlon total of 7,254 points is a world record; team mates Bob Clark & Jack Parker complete US sweep in the gruelling event at the Berlin Olympics
- 1937 Bonneville Dam on Columbia River begins producing power
- 1938 Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involving Boers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa
- 1938 6th Venice Film Festival opens
Event of Interest
1939 7th Venice Film Festival opens with a United States boycott due to Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italian regime
Benito Mussolini
- 1940 31 German aircraft shot down over England
Event of Interest
1940 The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel.
Wilhelm Keitel
- 1941 20 divisions of Soviet 6th/12th Army surrender at Oeman
- 1942 "Monty" appointed commander of British 8th Army at Alamein
- 1942 6 convicted Nazi saboteurs who landed in US executed in Washington, D.C.
- 1942 British Flower class corvette HMS Dianthus sinks U-379
- 1942 Soviet anti-offensive of Voronezh under Marshal Timosjenko
- 1943 Common Chiefs of staff meet in Quebec
- 1943 US amphibians land at St Agata on North coast of Sicily
- 1943 Vegetables & fruit rationed in Holland
- 1944 Canada/Polish troops occupy Cramesnil/Secqueville/Cintheaux/St-Aignan
- 1944 US 15th Army corps occupies Le Mans
- 1945 England & Australian Services draw 4th Victory Test
United Nations Charter
1945 President Harry Truman signs the United Nations Charter
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Nuremberg Trials
1945 US, USSR, Britain and France sign Treaty of London which sets down procedures for the Nuremberg war trials of Nazi leaders
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- 1945 USSR declares war against Japan in WW II
- 1945 USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea
- 1946 India agrees to give Bhutan 32 sq miles
- 1946 Dreyfuss family, owners of Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sells club to Frank McKinney & John Galbreath for $25 million
- 1946 First flight of the Convair B-36.
- 1947 Pakistan's National Flag is approved.
- 1948 "Hold It!" opens at National Theater NYC for 46 performances
- 1949 Bhutan, land of Dragon, becomes an independent monarchy
Event of Interest
1950 Florence Chadwick swims English Channel (13:23)
Florence Chadwick
- 1952 Syngman Ree re-elected president of South Korea
Georgy Malenkov
- 1953 US & South Korea initial a mutual security pact
Event of Interest
1955 Fidel Castro forms the "26th of July Movement", a Cuban vanguard revolutionary organization
Fidel Castro
- 1955 Geneva conference held to discuss peaceful uses of atomic energy
- 1956 Fire & explosion kill 263 miners at Marcinelle, Belgium
- 1956 WDIQ (now KMCT) TV channel 2 in Dozier, AL (PBS) begins
- 1957 USSR offers Syria economic/military aid
- 1960 "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" hits #1
- 1960 Ivory Coast declares independence
- 1960 South Kasai secedes from the Congo.
- 1960 Charges against 53 of the 76 Africans detained after the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa are dropped
- 1961 Ham Tigercats (CFL) beat Buff Bills (NFL) 38-21 in Hamilton, Ontario
- 1961 Verne Gagne beats Gene Kiniski in Minneapolis, to become NWA champ
- 1963 Great Train Robbery in England, £2.6 million ($7.3 million)
- 1963 Kingsmen release "Louie, Louie", radio stations label it obscene
- 1963 LA Dodgers F Howard & B Skowron are 3rd to hit consecutive pinch HRs
- 1963 Verne Gagne beats Fritz Von Erich in Amarillo, to become NWA champ
- 1964 "110 in the Shade" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 330 performances
- 1964 Dutch Opera forms in Amsterdam
- 1964 Rolling Stones 1st Dutch concert
- 1966 South African Broadcasting bans Beatles (Lennon's anti-Jesus remark)
- 1967 Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore & Thailand meet to form Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- 1968 Jarry Park is approved by Mayor Jean Drapeau for interim use by Expos
- 1968 Race riot in Miami, Florida
Presidential Convention
1968 Republican convention in Miami Beach nominates Richard Nixon for president
Richard Nixon
Contract of Interest
1973 US Vice President Spiro Agnew says reports he took kickbacks are "damned lies" from government contracts in Maryland. Vowed not to resign.
Spiro Agnew
- 1974 US President Richard Nixon announces he will resign at 12pm the next day
Event of Interest
1975 Hank Williams Jr. falls off the side of Ajax Peak in Montana
Hank Williams Jr
- 1975 As a result of rainfall from Typhoon Nina, the Banqiao Dam in China fails, causing the collapse of almost 6 million buildings and 229,000 deaths
- 1976 Chicago White Sox suit up in shorts
- 1977 Maurine Stuart, ordained as Zen priest by Eido Tai Shimano Roshi
- 1977 Texas Rangers turn their 1st triple play (vs A's)
- 1978 Pioneer-Venus 2 with 5 atmospheric probes launched toward Venus
Event of Interest
1979 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein executes 22 political opponents
Saddam Hussein
PGA Championship
1982 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Southern Hills CC: Ray Floyd wins his second PGA C'ship by 3 shots from fellow American Lanny Wadkins
Ray Floyd
- 1983 Jury in KC, Mo, awards TV anchorwoman Christine Craft $500,000 in sex discrimination suit against KMBC-TV (later overturned)
Coup d'état
1983 Military coup in Guatemala, Dictator and former General Efraín Rios Montt flees
Efraín Ríos Montt
Event of Interest
1983 1st Athletics World Championships: Carl Lewis wins gold in 100m
Carl Lewis
- 1984 "Rink" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 204 performances
- 1984 Carl Lewis wins 3rd gold medal of the Los Angeles Olympics joining Kirk Baptiste and Thomas Jefferson in an American sweep of the 200m
- 1984 Milwaukee 10-game losing streak ends
- 1984 Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco becomes the first female Olympic champion of a Muslim nation, and the first of her country in the 400m hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympics
- 1984 Future 5-time America's Cup winner Russell Coutts of New Zealand wins the Finn Class sailing gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics
- 1985 Baseball's new agreement permits 2 new NL teams in 1993
- 1985 Japan launches Planet A, a probe to Halley's comet
- 1986 Altaf Hussain's address at Nishtar Park Karachi, announcing the establishment of the MQM political movement.
- 1987 Brewers' Rob Deer struck-out 5 times in a game
- 1987 Lynne Cox became 1st to swim from US to Russia across Bering Strait
- 1987 Pakistan all out 708 v England at The Oval, Botham 3-217
- 1988 -11] Army in Rangoon shoots on students, 5-10,000 killed
US Senior Golf Open
1988 US Senior Open Men's Golf, Medinah CC: Gary Player of South Africa wins by 2 strokes over New Zealander Bob Charles in an 18-hole playoff; his second straight US Senior title
Gary Player
- 1988 Angola, Cuba & South Africa sign cease fire treaty
- 1988 Discovery of most distant galaxy (15 * 10 ^ 12 light yrs) announced
- 1988 Duchess of York gives birth to 6 lb 12 oz baby girl
- 1988 Jennifer Levin's parents file $25M suit against Dorrian Red Hand Bar
- 1988 Minnesota Twins pull 2nd triple-play of year & beat Cleve 6-2
- 1988 Renovated Central Park Zoo reopens after 4 years
- 1988 Russian troops begin pull out of Afghanistan after 9 year war
- 1988 US Secretary of State Shultz narrowly escapes assassin attempt in Bolivia
- 1988 South Africa declares cease-fire in Angola
- 1988 Temperature hits high of 88 deg F on 8/8/88 in NYC
- 1988 Cubs & Phillies attempt to play 1st night game ever at Wrigley Field but are rained out in 4th inning with Chicago leading, 3-1
- 1988 Ceasefire between Iran & Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war
- 1988 The "8888 Uprising" occurs in Burma.
- 1989 US space shuttle STS-28 launched
Event of Interest
1989 New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange resigns after 5 years on a no confidence issue
David Lange
- 1990 Baltimore Orioles pull their 10th triple play (1-6-3 vs Oakland)
Baseball Record
1990 Carlton Fisk ties Johnny Bench hitting 327 HRs as a catcher
Johnny Bench
- 1990 Iraq annexes Kuwait as its 19th province
- 1991 Billy Preston charged with exhibiting pornography to a minor
Event of Interest
1991 Carlos Santana pleads no contest to marijuana possession charge
Carlos Santana
Event of Interest
1991 Actor Gary Oldman is arrested for drunk driving
Gary Oldman
Event of Interest
1992 Metallica band member James Hetfield suffers second and third-degree burns during a pyrotechnics explosion on stage at Olympic Stadium, Montreal
James Hetfield
Olympic Gold
1992 The original US 'Dream Team' wins the basketball gold at the Barcelona Olympics 117-85 over Croatia; features superstars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scotty Pippen, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing
- 1992 Bulgarian canoeist Nikolay Bukhalov completes the C-1 500 / 1,000 double winning the latter at the Barcelona Olympics
- 1992 Germany goes through the field hockey competition undefeated to win gold with a 2-1 win over Australia in the men's final at the Barcelona Olympics
- 1992 Spanish centre forward Kiko scores twice as the home team takes the football Olympic gold medal with a 3-2 win over Poland in front of 95,000 at Camp Nou, Barcelona
- 1992 Fermín Cacho wins Spain's first ever Olympic gold medal in a running event when he takes out the 1,500m at the Barcelona Games
- 1993 Tropical storm Bret ravages Venezuela, about 100 killed
- 1995 Jeff King of Pirates is 16th NL player to HR twice in one inning
Hall of Fame
2004 John Elway is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
John Elway
Event of Interest
2006 Actor Sylvester Stallone and former heavyweight boxing contender Chuck Wepner settle law suit out of court for an undisclosed sum; Wepner claims he was the inspiration for the "Rocky" movies
Sylvester Stallone
- 2007 An EF2 tornado touches down in Kings County and Richmond County, New York State, the most powerful tornado in New York to date and the first in Brooklyn since 1889.
Event of Interest
2007 Carlos Slim overtakes Bill Gates as world's richest person with estimated net worth of US$59 billion, according to "Fortune"
Carlos Slim
Bill Gates
