- 1276 While taking exile in Fuzhou, southern China, from advancing Mongol invaders, remnants of the Song Dynasty court hold coronation ceremony for young prince Zhao Shi, making him Emperor Duanzong of Song
Poll Tax Triggers the Peasants' Revolt
1381 Richard II in England meets leaders of the Peasants' Revolt on Blackheath. The Tower of London is stormed by rebels who enter without resistance.
- 1565 Catharina de Medici and Duke of Alva discuss Calvinism
- 1597 At 4:30 AM Willem Barents leaves Novaya Zemlya for Netherlands
- 1615 Jacques Le Maire sail to Zuidland/Terra Australis
- 1623 1st breach-of-promise lawsuit: Rev Gerville Pooley, Virginia files against Cicely Jordan, he loses
- 1634 Russia and Poland sign Peace treaty of Polianov
- 1642 1st compulsory education law in America passed by Massachusetts
Victory in Battle
1645 Battle of Naseby, Leicestershire: "New Model Army" under Oliver Cromwell & Thomas Fairfax beat royalists forces of English King Charles I
Historic Event
1775 US Army first forms as the Continental Army to fight American Revolutionary War
Historic Event
1777 US Continental Congress adopts the Stars & Stripes flag, designed by Francis Hopkinson, replacing the Grand Union flag
Mutiny on the Bounty
1789 Captain William Bligh and his loyal men cast offf from HMS Bounty reach Timor, after sailing 5,800 km in a 6-metre launch
- 1800 Battle of Marengo (Alessandria): Bonaparte vs Austria
- 1807 Emperor Napoleon I's French Grande Armee defeats the Russian Army at the Battle of Friedland in Prussia (modern Russian Kaliningrad Oblast) ending War of the Fourth Coalition
- 1821 Badi VII, king of Sennar, surrenders his throne and realm to Ismail Pasha, general of the Ottoman Empire, bringing the 300 year old Sudanese kingdom to an end
Historic Event
1822 Charles Babbage proposes a "difference engine" in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society entitled "Note on the application of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables"
- 1834 Hardhat diving suit patented by Leonard Norcross, Dixfield, Maine
- 1834 Sandpaper patented by Isaac Fischer Jr, Springfield, Vermont
- 1839 First Henley Regatta held (it became the Henley Royal Regatta in 1851)
- 1841 1st Canadian parliament opens in Kingston, Ontario
- 1846 Belgian Liberal Party forms
- 1846 California (Bear Flag) Republic proclaimed in Sonoma, declaring independence from Mexico
Historic Invention
1847 Robert Bunsen invents the Bunsen burner
- 1850 Third great fire of early San Francisco, starts in a bakery chimney
Historic Event
1861 Harpers Ferry evacuated by rebels in face of General George McClellan's advance
- 1863 Battle of 2nd Winchester, Virginia
- 1864 US Union warship USS Kearsarge appears off Cherbourg
- 1870 All-pro Cincinnati Red Stockings suffer 1st loss in 130 games
- 1872 Trade unions are legalised in Canada.
- 1876 1st player to hit for cycle (George Hall, Philadelphia Athletics)
- 1876 California Street Cable Car Railroad Co gets its franchise
- 1880 14th Belmont: L Hughes aboard Grenada wins in 2:47
- 1881 Player piano patented by John McTammany Jr (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
- 1898 France signs Niger Convention
- 1900 The Reichstag approves a second law that allows the expansion of the German navy
- 1900 Having been annexed to the USA on 12 August 1898, Hawaii is constituted as an organised territory
- 1904 Dutch troops occupy Kuto Reh, Sumatra, killing all inhabitants
- 1904 At the battle of Telissu, the Japanese rout the Russians and inflict heavy casualties
- 1906 Pogrom against Jews in Bialystok, Polish Russia
- 1907 Government of Transvaal sends home 50,000 Chinese day workers
- 1907 Norway adopts female suffrage for middle class women only in parliamentary elections
- 1908 Fourth German Navy Bill is passed authorising the financing of the building of another four major warships
- 1913 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Defending champion Mary Browne beats Dorothy Green 6-2, 7-5
Presidential Convention
1916 Democratic Convention convenes in St Louis; Woodrow Wilson campaigns on the slogan "he kept out of the war"
- 1916 Representatives of eight Allied nations hold an economic conference in Paris at which they discuss ways to cripple their enemies economic power during and after the war
- 1917 1st German air attack on England, 100+ killed in East London
- 1917 General Pershing and his HQ staff arrived in Paris during WW I
- 1919 1st nonstop air crossing of Atlantic (Alcock & Brown) leaves Newfoundland
- 1922 Charles Hoffner wins PGA golf tournament
Radio Premiere
1922 US President Warren G. Harding is 1st US President to use radio, dedicates the Francis Scott Key memorial in Baltimore
- 1923 Recording of 1st country music hit (Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane)
- 1924 Test Cricket debuts of Herbert Sutcliffe & Maurice Tate v South Africa
- 1924 WOKO-AM radio begins transmitting from Albany NY
- 1926 French Championships Men's Tennis: Henri Cochet wins 1st of 4 home titles; beats fellow Frenchman René Lacoste 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
- 1926 French Women's Tennis Championships: Suzanne Lenglen beats Mary Kendall Browne 6-1, 6-0
Presidential Convention
1928 Republican National Convention, meeting in Kansas City, nominates Herbert Hoover for President
Historic Event
1931 Reinhard Heydrich's first meeting with Heinrich Himmler
- 1932 German government of von Papen forms
Sports History
1933 MLB's Lou Gehrig and Joe McCarthy thrown out of game, McCarthy suspended 3 games but Gehrig isn't, so he continues his streak at 1,249 games
Meeting of Interest
1934 European despots Adolf Hitler, of Germany, and Benito Mussolini, of Italy, meet in Vienna, Austria
Boxing Title Fight
1934 American boxer Max Baer KO's defending champion Primo Carnera of Italy in 11th round at Madison Square Garden for the lineal world heavyweight title
- 1940 German U-47 sinks airship Balmoral
Historic Event
1941 Ground broken for Boeing Plant II (ex-AFLC Plant 13) in Wichita, Kansas
Historic Event
1942 Anne Frank begins her diary
Historic Event
1944 General Charles de Gaulle lands at Courselles France
- 1946 Canadian Library Association established
Music Recording
1946 Nat King Cole records "The Christmas Song" for the first time
- 1948 Klemens Gottwald becomes president of Czechoslovakia
- 1949 WROC TV channel 8 in Rochester, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
- 1951 "Courtin' Time" opens at National Theater NYC for 37 performances
- 1951 1st commercial computer, UNIVAC 1, enters service at Census Bureau
- 1952 US Open Men's Golf, Northwood GC: Julius Boros wins 1st of 3 majors by 4 shots from Ed Oliver
- 1952 General strike in Tunisia
World Record
1952 Jim Peters runs world record marathon (2:20:42.2)
- 1952 Keel laid for 1st nuclear powered sub USS Nautilus (4th to be named Nautilus)
Baseball Record
1952 Boston Brave Warren Spahn ties NL record held by Jim Whitney with 18 strikeouts against the Cubs in 15 innings
Historic Event
1953 Eisenhower condemns McCarthy's book burning proposal
Music History
1953 Elvis Presley graduates from L. C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee
- 1953 Military coup by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla in Colombia
- 1953 Yanks sweep Indians 6-2, 3-0 before 74,708 win streak at 18 straight
- 1954 President Eisenhower signs order adding words "under God" to the Pledge
- 1955 Chile becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty
- 1956 "New Faces of 1956" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 221 performances
- 1957 42.0 cm rain falls on East St Louis, Illinois (state record)
US Golf Open
1958 US Open Men's Golf, Southern Hills CC: Native Oklahoman Tommy Bolt wins his only major championship, 4 strokes ahead of 22-year old South African Gary Player
- 1958 British parachutists lands on Cyprus
- 1959 US Open Men's Golf, Winged Foot GC: Billy Casper wins first of his 2 Open titles, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Bob Rosburg
- 1961 106°F, hottest temperature in San Francisco
- 1962 Albert DeSalvo, better known as the Boston Strangler, murders Anna Slesers, his first victim
- 1962 The European Space Research Organisation is established in Paris - later becoming the European Space Agency
- 1963 NY Met Duke Snider hits his 400th HR
- 1963 Valery Bykovsky in Vostok 5 orbits earth 81 times in 5 days
- 1965 Beatles release album "Beatles VI"
- 1965 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney no-hits New York Mets but loses in 11 innings, 1-0
Historic Publication
1965 John Lennon's second book "A Spaniard in the Works" is published
Television Premiere
1967 "The Steve Allen Comedy Hour" premieres on CBS-TV
- 1967 USSR launches Kosmos 166 for observation of Sun from Earth orbit
Historic Event
1967 California Governor Ronald Reagan signs the Therapeutic Abortion Act, legalizing abortions in the state under certain circumstances, the second state after Colorado to do so
Film Release
1967 British film "To Sir, with Love" directed by James Clavell and starring Sidney Poitier is 1st released in the US
TV Show Appearance
1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear on David Frost's British TV Show
Sports History
1969 Oakland As' Reggie Jackson gets 10 RBIs to beat Red Sox 21-7
- 1972 Tropical storm (later hurricane) Agnes forms over Yucatán Peninsula
- 1972 Members of the NI Social Democratic and Labour Party hold a meeting with representatives of the Irish Republican Army in Derry; the IRA representatives outline their conditions for talks with the British Government
- 1973 46th National Spelling Bee: Barrie Trinkle wins spelling vouchsafe
Historic Event
1973 US President Richard Nixon administration imposes 60-day economy-wide price freeze, superseding Special Rule No. 1 for oil companies
Baseball Record
1974 Angels' Nolan Ryan strikes out 19 Red Sox in 12 innings
French Open Women's Tennis
1975 French Open Women's Tennis: Chris Evert beats Martina Navratilova 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 for her 2nd of 7 French singles titles
- 1976 "Gong Show" premieres on TV (syndication)
- 1976 French Open Men's Tennis: Adriano Panatta of Italy beats American Harold Solomon 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 for his lone Grand Slam singles title
- 1978 Sierra Leone adopts constitution
- 1979 Canada all out for 45 runs in Cricket World Cup v England, in 40.3 overs
Sports History
1979 NY Giants Willie McCovey 513th HR is an NL lefty record
- 1979 Rock group "Little Feat" disbands
Music History
1980 Theme From NY, NY by Frank Sinatra hits #32
LPGA Championship
1981 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Jack Nicklaus GC: Donna Caponi Young sinks 15 foot birdie putt on 18th to beat Jerilyn Britz and Pat Meyers by 1 stroke
- 1981 No Nukes concert at Hollywood Bowl
Argentine Soldiers Surrender in the Falklands
1982 Argentina surrenders to Great Britain, ending the 74-day Falklands Islands conflict
Sports History
1985 Earl Weaver comes out of retirement to manage Baltimore Orioles
- 1985 Lebanese Shiite Muslim extremists hijacked TWA Flight 847
- 1987 41st NBA Championship: LA Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2
- 1987 4th full-duration test firing of redesigned SRB motor
- 1987 Senior Tournament Players Championship Men's Golf, Sawgrass CC: South African Gary Player wins by 1 stroke from Bruce Crampton and Chi-Chi Rodriguez
Music History
1988 Woman sues Chuck Berry for $5,000,000, alleges he hit her
- 1988 "Guy" debut album by Guy is released
- 1989 Groundbreaking begins in Minnesota on world's largest mall
- 1989 Nolan Ryan becomes 2nd pitcher to defeat all 26 teams
- 1989 Ronald Reagan is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (honorary knighthood)
- 1989 Singer-songwriter Carol King gets a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame
Film & TV History
1989 Zsa Zsa Gabor arrested for slapping Beverly Hills motorcycle patrolman
NBA Finals
1990 NBA Finals: Defending champion Detroit Pistons beat Portland Trail Blazers, 92-90 in Game 5 for back-to-back titles; MVP: Isiah Thomas
Film Release
1991 "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" opens directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman
Golf Tournament
1992 Senior Players Championship Men's Golf, TPC of Michigan: Dave Stockton wins first of 3 Champions Tour major titles by 1 stroke from J.C. Snead and lee Trevino
NBA Finals
1992 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls beat Port Trail Blazers, 97-93 in Game 6 for back-to-back titles; MVP: Michael Jordan for second straight year
- 1992 Mona Van Duyn is named 1st female US poet laureate
Sports History
1992 Ozzie Smith breaks Roy McMillan's NL mark by taking part in his 1,305th career double play
Historic Event
1993 Ruth Bader Ginsburg is nominated to the United States Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton
- 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Madison Square Garden: New York Rangers beat Vancouver Canucks, 3-2 for a 4-3 series victory; Rangers end their record 54-year Championship drought
NBA Finals
1995 49th NBA Championship: Houston Rockets sweep Orlando Magic in 4 games
- 1995 Giants infielder Mike Benjamin goes 6-for-7 in 13-inning 4-3 win
Film Release
1996 "Cable Guy" starring Jim Carrey is released
- 1996 Karl Krikken out handled the ball for Derbyshire v Indians
- 1998 "Comic Relief" benefit comedy show
- 1998 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls beat Utah Jazz, 87-86 in Game 6 for their 3rd consecutive title and 6th in 8 seasons; MVP: Michael Jordan for 3rd straight year and 6th time
- 1998 WLAF World Bowl 6, Waldstadion, Frankfurt: Rhein Fire beats Frankfurt Galaxy, 34-10
Music Awards
2000 34th Country Weekly Presents the TNN Music Awards: George Strait & Faith Hill wins
Sports History
2000 Greg Maddux makes his 387th putout, breaking Jack Morris' career record
- 2001 China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan form the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Film Release
2002 "The Bourne Identity" directed by Doug Liman and starring Matt Damon is released in the US
- 2003 WLAF World Bowl 11, Hampden Park, Glasgow: Frankfurt Galaxy beats Rhein Fire, 35-16
- 2005 Asafa Powell of Jamaica sets a new Men's 100 meters world record of 9.77 at the Athens Olympic Stadium
- 2007 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs edge Cleveland Cavaliers, 83-82 for a 4-0 series sweep; MVP: Tony Parker
NBA Finals
2009 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat Orlando Magic, 99-86 in Game 5 for franchise's 15th NBA championship; MVP: Kobe Bryant
- 2009 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Bulle Rock GC: 22 year old Tour rookie Anna Nordqvist of Sweden wins her only major title by 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Lindsey Wright
- 2012 An explosion at an Indian steel plant kills 11 people and severely injures 16
- 2012 The world's first stem-cell assisted vein transplant is undertaken by Swedish doctors on a 10 year old girl
Election of Interest
2013 Hassan Rouhani is elected President of Iran
- 2013 Massive flooding occurs in northern India killing up to 10,000 people
Historic Event
2013 The US government charges NSA leaker Edward Snowden with violating the Espionage Act and theft of government property
