1999
American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz announced that he was retiring his popular Peanuts comic strip due to ill health
1998
Death of A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., American civil rights advocate, writer and appeals court judge.
United States
1998
Death of Norman Fell, American actor (‘Mr Roper’) .
1993
Death of Myrna Loy, American film actress .
1989
Death of Andrei Sakharov, Russian nuclear physicist and dissident who won the Nobel Peace Price for his work as a human rights campaigner
Russian Federation
1986
Americans Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager made the first non-stop flight around the world without refuelling, piloting the experimental plane Voyager
1981
Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights, which it had occupied since the Six-Day War in 1967
1979
The album London Calling by The Clash was released
1959
Death of Stanley Spencer, British artist
1939
The Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations for aggression against Finland
1918
British women over 30 voted in the General Election for the first time .
1911
National Insurance in Britain
Great Britain
1911
Amundsen reaches the south pole
1909
Birth of Edward Tatum, American geneticist, won the Nobel Prize for showing that genes regulate chemical processes in living things
United States
1908
Birth of Morey Amsterdam, American comedian and actor .
1903
First flight of Wilbur & Orville Wright
United States
1896
Opening of the Underground Railway (the 'shooglie') in Glasgow – remains the only underground in Scotland
1861
Prince Albert dies
Great Britain
1542
Death of King James V of Scots; his baby daughter Mary 'Queen of Scots' succeeds him, just 6 days old