1999
Death of Paul Bowles, American composer, writer, and translator
1997
Death of Joyce Wethered (Lady Heathcoat-Amory), British golfer (Regarded as the greatest British woman player of her day)
1993
South African politicians agreed a new constitution that provided basic civil rights to blacks, after more than 300 years of white majority rule.
1987
A report into the Iran-Contra scandal blamed American President Ronald Reagan for abusing the law
1987
King's Cross fire in London – 31 people die
1978
More than 900 members of the Peoples Temple cult, led by the Reverend Jim Jones, committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana.
1969
Death of Joseph P. Kennedy, American businessman and diplomat. Father of US President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy
1929
Grand Banks earthquake: an earthquake off the coast of Newfoundland damaged 12 transatlantic telegraph cables and triggered a tsunami that destroyed many coastal communities on the southern Burin Peninsula
1928
Walt Disney’s ‘Steamboat Willie’ premiered in New York. It was the first successful sound-synchronised animated cartoon, and starred Mickey.
1918
Latvia declared its independence from Russia .
1916
Battle of the Somme Ends
1909
Birth of Johnny Mercer, American singer, songwriter and composer who contributed to many Broadway musicals and Hollywood films and co-founded Capitol Records
1909
US Marines invaded Nicaragua after President José Santos Zelaya ordered the execution of 500 conservative revolutionaries. His regime threatened to destabilise the area and limit foreign access to resources
1883
The USA and Canada adopted the 4-zone Standard Time system .
1724
Death of Bartolomeu de Gusmão, early aeronautist who so impressed the King of Portugal that he was granted the sole right to make flying machines, anyone else who made them would be executed.
Brazil
1477
Caxton Prints 1st Book in England
1307
According to legend, William Tell shoots an apple off of his son's head
Switzerland