1993
NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft .

1983
Death of Benigno Aquino, Jr., Philippines opposition leader, assassinated at Manila airport as he returned home from exile in the USA.

1959
Death of Sir Jacob Epstein, American-born British modern art sculptor

1959
Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA

1939
Civil Defence a grouping of civilian emergency services began in Britain to provide a controlled response to German bombing raids

1920
Birth of Christopher Robin Milne, for whom his father AA Milne wrote the Stories about Winnie the Pooh.

1858
The first of seven Lincoln-Douglas debates took place between US Senate candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, at Ottawa, Illinois.

1821
The crew of the British ship Eliza Frances discovered Jarvis Island, now an unoccupied US territory.

1808
Battle of Vimiero: the Duke of Wellington led the English to victory over General Junot’s French forces.

1770
James Cook formally claims Eastern Australia for the British Crown.

1762
Death of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, English writer, feminist and promoter of smallpox innoculation. Her Turkish Embassy Letters are her most famous writings.

1614
Death of Countess Elizabeth Báthory, either the most prolific female serial killer in history or a horribly wronged widow.
