EVENTS
- 1750 – The Battle of Quebec is fought between the British and the French. A key event in the Seven Years’ War that involved the great European powers at the time, the battle took place on the farm of Abraham Martin. Because of this, the battle is also often called the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. British troops under the command of General James Wolfe defeated the French in the very short, 15-minute long battle and took over Quebec. The Battle resulted in the French giving up their control over areas in present-day Canada and most of North America coming under the control of the British.
- 1788 – The U.S. Congress chose New York as the Federal capital of the new American government.
- 1814 – The Star-Spangled Banner is written by Francis Scott Key
- 1814 – The Battle of Fort Henry in Baltimore Harbor occurred, observed by Francis Scott Key aboard a ship. He watched the British attack overnight and at dawn saw the American flag still flying over the fort, inspiring him to write the verses which were later coupled with the tune of a popular drinking song and became the U.S. National Anthem in 1931.
- 1899 – First recorded automobile fatality in the US takes place. Henry H. Bliss was struck by a taxi cab while crossing the street in New York City. He died the next day due to his injuries.
- 1922 – The temperature in the shade at Al ‘Aziziyah, Libya reaches a world record of 136.4 F
- 1933 – A Woman is elected to New Zealand Parliament for the first time. Elizabeth McCombs won the by-elections for the parliamentary seat of Lyttelton, which was held by her husband before he died in August 1933. New Zealand extended suffrage to women in 1893.
- 1943 – The Republic of China elects Chiang Kai-shek as president.
- 1965 – Willie Mays hits his 500th home run.
- 1971 – State police and National Guardsmen stormed Attica prison in New York State ending a five-day prisoners’ revolt. Thirty one prisoners and 11 guards were killed.
- 1974 French Ambassador is kidnapped in the Hague. 3 members of the Japanese Red Army (JRA), a communist militant group that was formed in Lebanon, stormed the French Embassy in the Hague and took 10 hostages, including the French Ambassador. The siege ended after the militants’ demands for a release of another JRA member, cash, and a plane was met.
- 1993 – Oslo accords are signed. Also known as Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, the accords helped create the Palestinian interim self-government or the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and called for the withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
- 1988 – Hurricane Gilbert becomes the strongest recorded hurricane to date.
BIRTHDAYS
- 1819 – Clara Schumann (German pianist, composer)
- 1851 – American Army physician Walter Reed (1851-1902) was born in Gloucester County, Virginia. Best known for his Yellow Fever research, he served as an army surgeon for more than 20 years. The U.S. Army’s general hospital in Washington, D.C., is named in his honor.
- 1857 – Milton Hershey (Chocolate company founder)
- 1860 – John J. Pershing (US General in WWI)
- 1916 – Roald Dahl (Author wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
- 1967 – Michael Johnson (Track Athlete)
- 1969 – Shane Warne (Australian cricketer)
- 1971 – Stella McCartney (Fashion Designer)
- 1977 – Fionna Apple (Singer)
- 1981 – Angelina Love (Canadian wrestler)
- 1989 – Thomas Muller (German footballer)
- 1993 – Niall Horan (Singer)
- 1969 – Tyler Perry (Playwright)
DEATHS
- 1598 – Philip II of Spain
- 1806 – Charles James Fox (English politician)
- 1971 – Lin Biao (Chinese military officer, politician, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China)
- 1977 – Leopold Stokowski (Polish/English conductor)
- 1996 – Tupac Shakur (American rapper, producer, actor)