Events
- 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks.
- 1500 - Ludovico Sforza is captured by the Swiss troops at Novara and handed over to the French.
- 1606 - The Charter of the Virginia Company of London was established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
- 1710 - The first law regulating copyright is issued in Great Britain.
- 1741 - War of the Austrian Succession: Prussia defeats Austria in the Battle of Mollwitz.
- 1790 - United States Patent system established
- 1815 - Mount Tambora volcano begins its peak eruption period that lasts until July.
- 1816 - The U.S. government approved the creation of a Second Bank of the United States.
- 1821 - Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople is hanged by the Turks from the main gate of the Patriarchate and his body is thrown into the Bosphorus.
- 1826 - The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive.
- 1856 - Theta Chi Fraternity Founded at Norwich University
- 1857 - The Sepoy Mutiny popularly known as the "Revolt of 1857" broke out in Meerut, India as part of the Indian independence movement.
- 1864 - Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg is elected emperor of Mexico.
- 1865 - American Civil War: A day after his surrender to Union forces, Confederate General Robert E. Lee addresses his troops for the last time.
- 1866 - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
- 1868 - At Arogee in Abyssinia, British and Indian forces defeat an army of Emperor Theodore. While 700 Ethiopians are killed and many more injured, only two die from the British/ Indian troops.
- 1869 - José Martà founds the Cuban Revolutionary Party.
- 1874 - The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska, USA.
- 1896 - Spiridon Louis wins the marathon of the first Olympic Games.
- 1906 - The Four Million, O. Henry's second short story collection, is published.
- 1912 - The RMS Titanic leaves port in Southampton, England for her first and only voyage.
- 1916 - The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is created in New York City.
- 1919 - Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos.
- 1925 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is first published in New York, New York by Charles Scribner's Sons.
- 1933 - New Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps is created.
- 1938 - Édouard Daladier becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1941 - World War II: The Axis Powers in Europe establish the Independent State of Croatia from occupied Yugoslavia with Ante Pavelić's Ustase fascist insurgents in power.
- 1944 - Rudolf Vrba and Alfred Wetzler escape from Birkenau death camp.
- 1944 - Henry Ford II is named executive vice president of Ford Motor Company.
- 1957 - The Suez Canal is reopened for all shipping after being closed for three months.
- 1959 - Akihito, future Emperor of Japan, weds Michiko.
- 1963 - The submarine USS Thresher is lost at sea, with all hands (129 officers, crewmen and civilian technicians).
- 1968 - Shipwreck of the New Zealand inter-island ferry TEV Wahine outside Wellington harbour.
- 1971 - Ping Pong Diplomacy: In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, the People's Republic of China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a weeklong visit.
- 1972 - 20 days after he was kidnapped in Buenos Aires, Oberdan Sallustro is executed by communist guerrillas.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: For the first time since November 1967 American B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam.
- 1973 - A British Vanguard turboprop crashes during a snowstorm at Basel, Switzerland killing 104.
- 1978 - Volkswagen becomes the first non-American automobile manufacturer to build cars in the United States, opening a plant in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
- 1979 - On "Terrible Tuesday", a tornado lands in Wichita Falls, Texas killing 42 people. (see Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak).
- 1991 - Italian ferry Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker in dense fog off Livorno, Italy killing 140.
- 1991 - A rare tropical storm develops in the Southern Hemisphere near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites.
- 1998 - The Belfast Agreement is signed.
- 2006 - Hundreds of thousands protest H.R. 4437 (aka the "Sensenbrenner Bill") in cities across the United States.
- 1389 - Cosimo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1464)
- 1583 - Hugo Grotius, Dutch philosopher and writer (d. 1645)
- 1651 - Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, German mathematician (d. 1708)
- 1656 - René Lepage de Ste-Claire, lord-founder of the town of Rimouski, in New France (d. 1718)
- 1704 - Benjamin Heath, English classical scholar (d. 1766)
- 1713 - John Whitehurst, English clockmaker and scientist (d. 1788)
- 1735 - Button Gwinnett, Signer of the Declaration of Independence (d. 1777)
- 1755 - Samuel Hahnemann, German physician (d. 1843)
- 1762 - Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist (d. 1834)
- 1778 - William Hazlitt, English writer (d. 1830)
- 1794 - Matthew Perry, American commodore (d. 1858)
- 1829 - William Booth, English founder of the Salvation Army (d. 1912)
- 1837 - Forceythe Willson, American poet (d. 1867)
- 1847 - Joseph Pulitzer, American journalist and publisher (d. 1911)
- 1864 - Eugen d'Albert, German composer (d. 1932)
- 1867 - George William Russell, Irish nationalist (d. 1935)
- 1868 - George Arliss, English actor (d. 1946)
- 1880 - Montague Summers, English writer (d. 1948)
- 1880 - Mohammed Nadir Shah, Afghan king (d. 1933)
- 1882 - Frances Perkins, American politician (d. 1965)
- 1887 - Bernardo Houssay, Argentine physiologist, Nobel laureate (d. 1971)
- 1894 - Shri Ghanshyam Das Birla, Indian industrialist (d. 1983)
- 1910 - Paul Sweezy, American economist and editor (d. 2004)
- 1911 - Martin Denny, American musician (d. 2005)
- 1913 - Stefan Heym, German author (d. 2001)
- 1915 - Harry Morgan, American actor
- 1917 - Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1979)
- 1918 - Lee Bergere, American actor (d. 2007)
- 1921 - Chuck Connors, American actor (d. 1992)
- 1921 - Sheb Wooley, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
- 1923 - Roger Gaillard, Haitian historian and novelist (d. 2000)
- 1924 - Kenneth Noland, American painter
- 1926 - Junior Samples, American musician (d. 1983)
- 1927 - Marshall Warren Nirenberg, American scientist, Nobel laureate
- 1929 - Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver and one-time F1 world champion (d. 1959)
- 1929 - Max von Sydow, Swedish actor
- 1930 - Claude Bolling, French jazz composer/pianist
- 1930 - Dolores Huerta, American co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America
- 1930 - Norma Candal, Puerto Rican actress/comedian (d. 2006)
- 1930 - Spede Pasanen, Finnish comedian (d. 2001)
- 1932 - Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor
- 1934 - David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (d. 2007)
- 1934 - Vladimir Posner, Russian journalist
- 1936 - John Madden, American football coach and broadcaster
- 1937 - Bella Akhmadulina, Russian poet
- 1938 - Don Meredith, American football player and broadcaster
- 1941 - Paul Theroux, American author
- 1942 - Ian Callaghan, English footballer
- 1943 - Andrzej Badeński, Polish athlete
- 1946 - David Angell, American television producer (d. 2001)
- 1947 - Bunny Wailer, Jamaican musician
- 1950 - Ken Griffey, Sr., American baseball player
- 1950 - Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (P-Funk and The Temptations) (d. 1992)
- 1950 - Akiko Wada, Japanese singer and television performer
- 1951 - David Helvarg, American journalist and environmental activist
- 1951 - Steven Seagal, American actor
- 1954 - Peter MacNicol, American actor
- 1955 - Lesley Garrett, British soprano
- 1957 - John M. Ford, American science fiction author and poet (d. 2006)
- 1957 - Steve Gustafson, American rock bassist (10,000 Maniacs)
- 1958 - Bob Bell, British engineer
- 1958 - Yefim Bronfman, Russian-born pianist
- 1958 - Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, American music producer, musician, and film producer
- 1959 - Yvan Loubier, Quebec politician
- 1959 - Brian Setzer, American musician (Stray Cats)
- 1960 - Steve Bisciotti, American owner of the Baltimore Ravens
- 1960 - Katrina Leskanich, American singer (Katrina and the Waves)
- 1961 - Joe Cole (roadie), roadie for American band Black Flag, Henry Rollins' best friend (d. 1991)
- 1962 - Steve Tasker, American football player
- 1963 - Warren DeMartini, American rock guitarist (Ratt)
- 1963 - Doris Leuthard, member of the Swiss Federal Council
- 1965 - Tim Alexander, American drummer (Primus)
- 1967 - Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1968 - Orlando Jones, American actor and comedian
- 1969 - Billy Jayne, American actor
- 1969 - Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter
- 1970 - Matt Barlow, American former heavy metal singer (Iced Earth), now law enforcer
- 1970 - Enrico Ciccone, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1970 - Leonard Dorin, Canadian boxer
- 1970 - Kenny Lattimore, American singer
- 1970 - Mike Mushok, American rock guitarist (Staind)
- 1970 - Q-Tip, American rapper
- 1971 - Al Reyes, Dominican baseball player
- 1973 - Guillaume Canet, French actor and film director
- 1973 - Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer
- 1973 - Aidan Moffat, Scottish singer and musician (Arab Strap)
- 1973 - Christopher Simmons, American designer
- 1974 - Petros Passalis, Greek footballer
- 1975 - Chris Carrabba, American singer (Dashboard Confessional)
- 1976 - Sara Renner, Canadian cross country skier
- 1979 - Shemekia Copeland, American singer
- 1979 - Rachel Corrie, American activist (d. 2003)
- 1979 - Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese artist
- 1979 - Sophie Ellis-Bextor, English singer
- 1979 - Peter Kopteff, Finnish footballer
- 1980 - Sean Avery, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 - Charlie Hunnam, British actor
- 1980 - Kasey Kahne, American race-car driver
- 1980 - Bryce Soderberg, American rock bassist (Lifehouse)
- 1981 - Laura Bell Bundy, American actress
- 1981 - Liz McClarnon, British singer
- 1981 - Michael Pitt, American actor
- 1981 - Alexei Semenov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1982 - Damián Lanza, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1982 - Chyler Leigh, American actress
- 1982 - Andre Ethier, American baseball player
- 1983 - Ryan Merriman, American actor
- 1984 - Mandy Moore, American singer/actress
- 1985 - Dion Phaneuf, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 - Vincent Kompany, Belgian footballer
- 1987 - Tim Jennings Jr, NFL couch scout master
- 1988 - Haley Joel Osment, American actor
- 1991 - Amanda Michalka, American actress/singer
- 1991 - Princess Fatima Farheen Mirza, FPB'S Princess
- 2007 - Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Dutch Princess
- 879 - Louis the Stammerer, King of the West Franks (b. 846)
- 948 - King Hugh of Italy
- 1533 - King Frederick I of Denmark (b. 1471)
- 1545 - Costanzo Festa, Italian composer
- 1585 - Pope Gregory XIII (b. 1502)
- 1599 - Gabrielle d'Estrée, mistress of King Henry IV of France (b. 1571)
- 1601 - Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish poet (b. 1562)
- 1619 - Thomas Jones, Archbishop of Dublin (b. c1550)
- 1640 - Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer (b. 1578)
- 1646 - Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (b. 1576)
- 1704 - William Egon of Fürstenberg, Bishop of Strassburg (b. 1629)
- 1706 - Arthur Chichester, 3rd Earl of Donegall, Irish soldier (b. 1666)
- 1756 - Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (d. 1661)
- 1760 - Jean Lebeuf, French historian (b. 1687)
- 1786 - John Byron, British naval officer (b. 1723)
- 1813 - Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian-born mathematician (b. 1736)
- 1823 - Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher (b. 1757)
- 1862 - W.H.L. Wallace, American Union general (b. 1821)
- 1882 - Dante Gabriel Rossetti, English poet and painter (b. 1828)
- 1904 - Queen Isabella II of Spain (b. 1830)
- 1909 - Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet and critic (b. 1837)
- 1919 - Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary (b. 1879)
- 1920 - Moritz Cantor, German mathematician (b. 1829)
- 1931 - Khalil Gibran, Lebanese poet and painter (b. 1883)
- 1938 - Joe "King" Oliver, American musician (b. 1885)
- 1945 - Charles Nordhoff, English-born writer (b. 1887)
- 1945 - H.N. Werkman, Dutch artist and printer (b. 1882)
- 1954 - Auguste Lumière, French film pioneer (b. 1862)
- 1954 - Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1888)
- 1955 - Teilhard de Chardin, French paleontologist and theologian (b. 1881)
- 1958 - Chuck Willis, American singer and songwriter (b. 1928)
- 1962 - Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-born director (b. 1886)
- 1962 - Stuart Sutcliffe, English musician (The Beatles) (b. 1940)
- 1965 - Lloyd Casner, American race car driver and owner (b. 1928)
- 1965 - Linda Darnell, American actress (b. 1923)
- 1966 - Evelyn Waugh, English writer (b. 1903)
- 1968 - Gustavs Celmins, Latvian politician (b. 1899)
- 1969 - Harley J. Earl, American automobile designer (b. 1893)
- 1975 - Marjorie Main, American actress (b. 1890)
- 1979 - Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
- 1980 - Kay Medford, American actress (b. 1914)
- 1986 - Linda Creed, American songwriter (b. 1948)
- 1991 - Kevin Peter Hall, American actor (b. 1955)
- 1991 - Natalie Schafer, American actress (b. 1900)
- 1992 - Sam Kinison, American comedian (b. 1953)
- 1993 - Chris Hani, South African activist (b. 1942)
- 1994 - Sam B. Hall, American politician (b. 1924)
- 1995 - Morarji Desai, Indian activist (b. 1896)
- 1997 - Michael Dorris, American author (b. 1945)
- 1999 - Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat, German-born biochemist (b. 1910)
- 1999 - Jean Vander Pyl, American voice actress (b. 1919)
- 2000 - Peter Jones, English comedian (b. 1920)
- 2000 - Larry Linville, American actor (b. 1939)
- 2000 - Kirsten Rolffes, Danish actress (b. 1928)
- 2003 - Little Eva, American singer (b. 1943)
- 2005 - Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (b. 1923)
- 2005 - Iakovos, Archbishop of America (b. 1911)
- 2005 - Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
- 2007 - Dakota Staton, American singer (b. 1930)
- Saint Fulbert of Chartres
- James, Azadanus and Abdicius
- Saint Paternus
