Events

• 498 – After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore.

• 845 – The first King of all Brittany, Nominoe defeats the Frankish king Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon near Redon.

• 1573 – The Brazilian city of Niterói is founded.

• 1574 – Discovery of the Juan Fernández Islands off Chile.

• 1718 – Off the coast of North Carolina, British pirate Edward Teach (best known as "Blackbeard") is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

• 1812 – War of 1812: 17 Indiana Rangers are killed at the Battle of Spur's Defeat.

• 1830 – Charles Grey, (2nd Earl Grey), became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

• 1837 – Canadian journalist and politician William Lyon Mackenzie called for a rebellion against Great Britain in his essay "To the People of Upper Canada", published in his newspaper The Constitution.

• 1858 – Denver, Colorado is founded.

• 1859 – Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is first offered for sale, in London, England.

• 1864 – American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: Confederate General John Bell Hood invades Tennessee in an unsuccessful attempt to draw Union General William T. Sherman from Georgia.

• 1908 – The Congress of Manastir establishes the Albanian alphabet.

• 1922 – Egyptology: Howard Carter, assisted by Lord Carnarvon, opens the tomb of Tutankhamun.

• 1928 – The premier performance of Ravel's Boléro takes place in Paris.

• 1935 – The China Clipper takes off from Alameda, California for its first commercial flight. It reaches its destination, Manila, a week later.

• 1940 – World War II: Following the initial Italian invasion, Greek troops counterattack into Italian-occupied Albania and capture Korytsa.

• 1942 – World War II: Battle of Stalingrad – General Friedrich Paulus sends Adolf Hitler a telegram saying that the German 6th army is surrounded.

• 1943 – World War II: War in the Pacific – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek meet in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss ways to defeat Japan (see Cairo Conference)

• 1943 – Lebanon gains independence from France.

• 1954 – The Humane Society of the United States is founded.

• 1963 – In Dallas, Texas, US President John F. Kennedy is killed and Texas Governor John B. Connally is seriously wounded by Lee Harvey Oswald, who is later captured and charged with the murder of police officer J. D. Tippit. That same day, US Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.

• 1967 – UN Security Council Resolution 242 is adopted by the UN Security Council, establishing a set of the principles aimed at guiding negotiations for an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.

• 1969 – The University of Michigan upset Ohio State University, 24-12. The game kicked off the famous "10-Year War" Between Woody Hayes of Ohio State and Bo Schembechler of Michigan. The win stopped Ohio State's 22-game winning streak, and Hayes later admitted that the 1969 team was the best team he had ever coached.

• 1973 – The Italian Fascist organization Ordine Nuovo is disbanded.

• 1974 – The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.

• 1975 – Juan Carlos is declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco.

• 1977 – British Airways inaugurates a regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.

• 1986 – Mike Tyson defeats Trevor Berbick to become youngest Heavyweight champion in boxing history.

• 1987 – Two Chicago television stations are hijacked by an unknown pirate dressed as Max Headroom.

• 1988 – In Palmdale, California, the first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed.

• 1989 – In West Beirut, a bomb explodes near the motorcade of Lebanese President Rene Moawad, killing him.

• 1990 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher withdraws from the Conservative Party leadership election, confirming the end of her premiership.

• 1995 – Toy Story is released as the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery.

• 1998 – Albania constitution adopted by popular referendum.

• 2002 – In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.

• 2004 – The Orange Revolution begins in Ukraine, resulting from the presidential elections.

• 2005 – Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany.

• 2008 – YouTube hosts the largest ever live broadcast, YouTube Live.

Births

• 1458 – Jacob Obrecht, Dutch composer (d. 1505)

• 1515 – Marie of Guise, Queen consort of James V of Scotland and regent of Scotland (d. 1560)

• 1564 – Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham, English conspirator (d. 1610)

• 1602 – Elisabeth of Bourbon, Queen of Philip IV of Spain (d. 1644)

• 1635 – Francis Willughby, English biologist (d. 1672)

• 1643 – Robert Cavelier de La Salle, French explorer (d. 1687)

• 1698 – Pierre de Rigaud, Canadian-born French Governor (d. 1778)

• 1710 – Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, German composer (d. 1784)

• 1721 – Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres, Swiss-born Canadian statesman (d. 1824)

• 1722 – Hryhorii Skovoroda, Ukrainian poet (d. 1794)

• 1767 – Andreas Hofer, Tyrolian patriot (d. 1810)

• 1780 – Jose Cecilio del Valle, Honduran Politician (d. 1834)

• 1787 – Rasmus Christian Rask, Danish linguist (d. 1823)

• 1808 – Thomas Cook, British travel entrepreneur (d. 1892)

• 1814 – Serranus Clinton Hastings, American politician (d. 1893)

• 1819 – George Eliot, British novelist (d. 1880)

• 1849 – Christian Rohlfs, German artist (d. 1938)

• 1852 – Paul-Henri-Benjamin d'Estournelles de Constant, French diplomat, Nobel laureate (d. 1924)

• 1856 – Heber J. Grant, American religious leader (d. 1945)

• 1868 – John Nance Garner, U.S. Vice President (d. 1967)

• 1869 – André Gide, French writer and Nobel laureate (d. 1951)

• 1877 – Endre Ady, Hungarian poet (d. 1919)

• 1877 – Joan Gamper, Swiss-born businessman and founder of FC Barcelona (d. 1930)

• 1878 – Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia, Disputed Emperors of Russia (d. 1918)

• 1884 – Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, Pakistani biographer of Muhammad (d. 1953)

• 1890 – Charles de Gaulle, President of France (d. 1970)

• 1893 – Harley J. Earl, American automobile designer (d. 1969)

• 1897 – Paul Oswald Ahnert, German astronomer (d. 1989)

• 1898 – Wiley Post, American pilot (d. 1935)

• 1899 – Hoagy Carmichael, American composer (d. 1981)

• 1900 – Tom Macdonald, Welsh journalist and novelist (d. 1980)

• 1901 – Joaquin Rodrigo, Spanish composer (d. 1999)

• 1902 – Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, French general (d. 1947)

• 1902 – Sir Humphrey Gibbs, Rhodesian politician (d. 1990)

• 1902 – Albert Leduc, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1990)

• 1902 – Emanuel Feuermann, Famed Austrian-American Cellist (d. 1942)

• 1904 – Louis Eugène Félix Néel, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2000)

• 1909 – Mikhail Mil, Russian aviation designer (d. 1970)

• 1913 – Benjamin Britten, British composer (d. 1976)

• 1913 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, first female Philippine Supreme Court Justice (d. 2006)

• 1914 – Peter Townsend, British Equerry and air pilot (d. 1995)

• 1917 – Andrew Fielding Huxley, British scientist, Nobel laureate

• 1918 – Claiborne Pell, American politician (d. 2009)

• 1919 – Máire Drumm, Irish civil rights activist (d. 1976)

• 1920 – Anne Crawford, British film actor (d. 1956)

• 1921 – Rodney Dangerfield, American comedian (d. 2004)

• 1921 – Brian Cleeve, Irish broadcaster (d. 2003)

• 1923 – Dika Newlin, American composer and singer (d. 2006)

• 1923 – Arthur Hiller, Canadian film director

• 1924 – Geraldine Page, American actress (d. 1987)

• 1925 – Gunther Schuller, American composer and conductor

• 1926 – Lew Burdette, American baseball player (d. 2007)

• 1926 – Arthur Jones (inventor), American inventor (d. 2007)

• 1928 – Timothy Beaumont, Baron Beaumont of Whitley (d. 2008)

• 1929 – Aleksandar Popović, Serbian dramatist (d. 1996)

• 1932 – Robert Vaughn, American actor

• 1932 – Keith Wickenden, British politician (d. 1983)

• 1936 – Joachim Bißmeier, German actor

• 1936 – Khalifah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah, Prime Minister of Bahrain

• 1938 – Henry C. Lee, Chinese-born American criminologist

• 1939 – Tom West, American computer engineer and computer industry executive

• 1939 – Mulayam Singh Yadav, Indian politician

• 1940 – Terry Gilliam, American-born British comedian

• 1940 – Roy Thomas, American comic book writer

• 1941 – Tom Conti, British actor

• 1941 – Jacques Laperrière, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

• 1941 – Jesse Colin Young, American musician

• 1941 – Terry Stafford, American singer and songwriter (d. 1996)

• 1942 – Guion Bluford, American astronaut

• 1943 – Peter Adair, American filmmaker

• 1943 – Billie Jean King, American tennis player

• 1943 – Yvan Cournoyer, Canadian ice hockey player

• 1945 – Tom Freston, American television executive

• 1946 – Aston Barrett, Jamaican musician (The Wailers Band)

• 1947 – Valerie Wilson Wesley, American author

• 1947 – Sandy Alderson, American baseball executive

• 1947 – Paloma San Basilio, Spanish singer

• 1948 – Radomir Antić, Serbian football manager

• 1948 – Stewart Graeme Guthrie, New Zealand Police officer (d. 1990)

• 1949 – Richard Carmona, Surgeon General of the United States

• 1949 – David Pietrusza, American baseball historian

• 1950 – Art Sullivan, Belgian singer

• 1950 – Lyman Bostock, American baseball player (d. 1978)

• 1950 – Steven Van Zandt, American musician

• 1950 – Tina Weymouth, American musician (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club)

• 1951 – Kent Nagano, American conductor

• 1953 – Urmas Alender, Estonian singer (d. 1994)

• 1955 – James Edwards, American basketball player

• 1956 – Lawrence Gowan, Canadian singer (Styx)

• 1956 – Richard Kind, American actor

• 1957 – Donny Deutsch, American broadcaster

• 1958 – Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress

• 1958 – Lee Guetterman, American baseball player

• 1958 – Bruce Payne, English actor

• 1958 – Horse, Scottish singer and songwriter

• 1959 – Frank McAvennie, Scottish footballer

• 1959 – Fabio Parra, Colombian cyclist

• 1959 – Lenore Zann, Australian voice actress

• 1960 – Léos Carax, French film director

• 1961 – Mariel Hemingway, American actress

• 1961 – Randal L. Schwartz, American computer programmer

• 1961 – Stephen Hough, British concert pianist

• 1962 – Victor Pelevin, Russian writer

• 1963 – Scoop Jackson, American sports journalist

• 1963 – Tony Mowbray, English football player and manager

• 1963 – Brian Robbins, American actor, producer and director

• 1964 – Robbie Slater, Australian former footballer

• 1965 – Mads Mikkelsen, Danish actor

• 1965 – Peter Safran, British-born American film producer and talent agent

• 1966 – Richard Stanley, South African film director

• 1966 – Ed Ferrara, Former pro wrestler, writer and commentator

• 1967 – Mark Ruffalo, American actor

• 1967 – Boris Becker, German tennis player

• 1967 – Bart Veldkamp, Dutch-born Belgian speed skater

• 1968 – Rasmus Lerdorf, Greenlandic computer programmer

• 1969 – Marjane Satrapi, Iranian graphic novelist

• 1970 – Marvan Atapattu, Sri Lankan cricketeer

• 1970 – Stel Pavlou, British novelist

• 1972 – Jay Payton, American baseball player

• 1972 – Russell Hoult, English football goalkeeper

• 1974 – Joe Nathan, American baseball player

• 1974 – David Pelletier, Canadian figure skater

• 1975 – Aiko, Japanese singer

• 1976 – Adrian Bakalli, Belgian footballer

• 1976 – Torsten Frings, German footballer

• 1976 – Regina Halmich, German female boxer

• 1976 – Ville Valo, Finnish singer (HIM)

• 1977 – Annika Norlin, Swedish pop singer

• 1977 – Michael Preston, English footballer

• 1978 – Karen O, American singer (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

• 1979 – Chris Doran, Irish singer

• 1980 – Shawn Fanning, American Internet entrepreneur (Napster)

• 1980 – Yaroslav Rybakov, Russian athlete

• 1981 – Seweryn Gancarczyk, Polish footballer

• 1981 – Pape Sow, Senegalese basketball player

• 1981 – Ben Adams, English singer

• 1982 – Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nigerian footballer

• 1982 – Charlene Choi Cheuk Yin, Hong Kong singer (Twins)

• 1982 – Alasdair Duncan, Australian novelist

• 1982 – Isild Le Besco, French actress

• 1983 – Corey Beaulieu, American guitarist (Trivium)

• 1983 – Tyler Hilton, American singer and actor

• 1983 – Peter Ramage, English footballer

• 1984 – Scarlett Johansson, American actress

• 1985 – Asamoah Gyan, Ghanaian footballer

• 1986 – Oscar Pistorius, South African paralympic athlete

• 1987 – Marouane Fellaini, Belgian footballer

• 1988 – Suresh Guptara and Jyoti Guptara, British-Indian novelists

• 1991 – Diana Danielle Dannye Beeson, Malaysian American actress

Deaths

• 950 – King Lothair II of Italy

• 1286 – Eric V of Denmark, Danish King (b. 1249)

• 1318 – Mikhail Yaroslavich, Russian prince (b. 1271)

• 1594 – Martin Frobisher, English explorer

• 1617 – Ahmed I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1590)

• 1694 – John Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1630)

• 1697 – Libéral Bruant, French architect (b. 1635)

• 1710 – Bernardo Pasquini, Italian composer (b. 1637)

• 1718 – Blackbeard (Edward Teach), British pirate (b. 1680)

• 1758 – Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe, British politician (b. 1680)

• 1774 – Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, British general (b. 1725)

• 1783 – John Hanson, American Continental Congressman (b. 1715)

• 1794 – John Alsop, American Continental Congressman (b. 1724)

• 1813 – Johann Christian Reil, German physician (b. 1759)

• 1875 – Henry Wilson, Vice President of the United States (b. 1812)

• 1886 – William Bliss Baker, American painter (b. 1859)

• 1893 – James Calder, 5th President of the Pennsylvania State University (b. 1826)

• 1900 – Arthur S. Sullivan, British composer (b. 1842)

• 1916 – Jack London, American writer (b. 1876)

• 1917 – Teoberto Maler, German-born explorer (b. 1842)

• 1919 – Francisco Moreno, Argentine explorer (b. 1852)

• 1920 – Manuel Pérez y Curis, Uruguayan poet (b. 1884)

• 1926 – Darvish Khan, Iranian musician (b. 1872)

• 1932 – William Walker Atkinson, American author (b. 1862)

• 1941 – Werner Mölders, German ace fighter pilot (b. 1915)

• 1943 – Lorenz Hart, American lyricist (b. 1895)

• 1944 – Arthur Stanley Eddington, English astrophysicist (b. 1882)

• 1946 – Otto Georg Thierack, German jurist (b. 1889)

• 1953 – Syed Sulaiman Nadvi, Pakistani religious scholar and biographer of Muhammad (b. 1884)

• 1954 – Roderick McMahon, Professional Wrestling/Boxing Booker (b. 1882)

• 1955 – Shemp Howard, American actor (b. 1895)

• 1956 – Theodore Kosloff, Russian-born choreographer (b. 1882)

• 1963 – Aldous Huxley, English author (b. 1894)

• 1963 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (b. 1917)

• 1963 – C. S. Lewis, Irish author (b. 1898)

• 1963 – Wilhelm Beiglböck, Nazi physician (b. 1905)

• 1963 – J. D. Tippit, Dallas Police Officer (b. 1924)

• 1967 – Pavel Korin, Russian painter (b. 1892)

• 1980 – Norah McGuinness, Northern Irish painter (b. 1901)

• 1980 – Mae West, American actress and writer (b. 1893)

• 1980 – Jules Léger, Governor General of Canada (b. 1913)

• 1981 – Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)

• 1986 – Scatman Crothers, American actor (b. 1910)

• 1986 – William Bradford Huie, American writer (b. 1910)

• 1988 – Luis Barragán, Mexican architect (b. 1908)

• 1988 – Paul Vario, U.S. Italian Mafia of the Lucchese Family (b. 1914)

• 1989 – Rene Moawad, President of Lebanon (b. 1925)

• 1989 – C. C. Beck, American cartoonist (b. 1910)

• 1992 – Sterling Holloway, American Character actor (b. 1905)

• 1993 – Anthony Burgess, British author (b. 1917)

• 1994 – Forrest White, former vice president of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

• 1996 – Mark Lenard, American actor (b. 1924)

• 1996 – María Casares, Spanish-born French actress (b. 1922)

• 1997 – Michael Hutchence, Australian singer (INXS) (b. 1960)

• 1998 – Stu Ungar, American poker player (b. 1953)

• 2000 – Christian Marquand, French actor, director and screenwriter (b. 1927)

• 2000 – Emil Zátopek, Czech athlete (b. 1922)

• 2001 – Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman, founded Mary Kay Cosmetics (b. 1915)

• 2001 – Norman Granz, American jazz impresario and producer (b. 1918)

• 2004 – Arthur Hopcraft, English scriptwriter and journalist (b. 1932)

• 2005 – Bruce Hobbs, American jockey (b. 1920)

• 2006 – Pat Dobson, American baseball player (b. 1942)

• 2007 – Maurice Béjart, Father of the Ballet Renewal (b. 1929)

• 2007 – Verity Lambert, first producer of British SF series Doctor Who (b. 1935)

• 2008 – MC Breed, American hip hop artist (b. 1971)

Holidays and observances

• R.C. Saints – Feast of Saint Cecilia

• Lebanon – Independence Day (from France, 1943)

• Astrology: usually the first day of sun sign Sagittarius or the last day of Scorpio.