1999
Death of DeForest Kelley, American actor (played Dr Leonard Bones McCoy in the Star Trek films and television series)
United States
1984
Death of Enrico Berlinguer, Italian Communist Party leader (197284)
Italy
1979
Death of John Wayne, award-winning American film actor
United States
1959
British engineer Christopher Cockerell launched his prototype hovercraft SRN-1 in the Solent at Southampton
Great Britain
1955
83 spectators were killed at the Le Mans 24 hour race when an Austin Healey and Mercedes Benz collided.
France
1910
Birth of Jacques Cousteau, French oceanographer, whose TV programmes were very influential in both interesting the general public about the undersea world and promoting conservation.
France
1907
Northamptonshire were dismissed for 12 runs by Gloucestershire, the lowest score ever recorded in a first class cricket match.
Great Britain
1859
Death of Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, Austrian statesman and diplomat who helped form an alliance against Napoleon that restored Austria as a leading European power
Austria
1847
Great Britain
1770
Captain James Cook in the Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef during his voyage up the eastern seaboard of Australia.
Great Britain
1727
George I dies – George II Hanover becomes king
Great Britain
1679
Battle of Drumclog
Great Britain
1418
Battle of Sauchieburn
Great Britain