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1962–Celebrity chef and TV personality, Tom Colicchio, is born Thomas Patrick Colicchio in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was a co-founder and former executive chef of the Gramercy Tavern in New York, and the founder of the Craft and Colicchio & Sons restaurants. Colicchio has been the head judge and host of the Bravo network cooking competition show, Top Chef, since its inception.


423–Roman Emperor, Honorius, dies of edema in Ravenna, Italia, at age 38. Honorius is considered to be one of the worst of the emperors: it was during his reign that Rome was sacked for the first time in 800 years.

465–Roman Emperor, Libius Severus, dies at age 45. The details of Severus' death are obscure, but the majority of the modern scholars agree that he died of natural causes.

636–The Battle of Yarmouk, between Byzantine Empire and Rashidun Caliphate begins.

717–Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which will last for nearly a year.

718–Raising of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople.

747–Carloman, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, renounces his position as Majordomo and retires to a monastery near Rome. His brother, Pepin the Short, becomes the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom.

866–Robert I, King of France (922-923), is born in West Francia (present-day France).

927–The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto.

982–Holy Roman Emperor, Otto II, is defeated by the Saracens in the Battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria.

1018–Byzantine General, Eustathios Daphnomeles, blinds and captures Ibatzes of Bulgaria by a ruse, thereby ending Bulgarian resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.

1038–King Stephen I, the first king of Hungary, dies in Esztergom or Székesfehérvár, Kingdom of Hungary, at age 63. His nephew, Peter Orseolo, succeeds him. Stephen I’s death caused civil wars that lasted for decades.

1040–King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival, Macbeth. Macbeth succeeds him as King of Scotland.

1057–King Macbeth is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan, by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.

1070–The Pavian-born Benedictine Lanfranc is appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in England.

1118–Byzantine Emperor, Alexios I Komnenos, dies at age 62.

1171–Alfonso IX of León is born in Zamora.

1185–The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.

1195–Priest and Saint, Anthony of Padua, is born Fernando Martins de Bulhões in Lisbon, Portugal. Noted by his contemporaries for his forceful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick, he was the most-quickly canonized saint. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946. He is also the patron saint of lost things.

1237–The Battle of the Puig takes place in the context of the Spanish Reconquista, pitting the forces of the Taifa of Valencia against the Kingdom of Aragon.

1248–The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, is laid. Construction is eventually completed in 1880.

1261–Michael VIII Palaiologos is crowned Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople.

1274–Theologian, Robert de Sorbon, dies in Paris, France, at age 72. He founded the Collège de Sorbonne in Paris.

1281–The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Koan.

1309–The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island and rename themselves the Knights of Rhodes.

1430–Francesco Sforza, Lord of Milan, conquers Lucca.

1461–The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmed II. This is regarded by some historians as the true end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.

1483–Pope Sixtus IV consecrates the Sistine Chapel.

1511–Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Malacca Sultanate.

1517–Seven Portuguese armed vessels, led by Fernão Pires de Andrade, meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.

1519–Panama City, Panama, is founded.

1534–Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates take initial vows, leading to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September 1540.

1537–Asunción, Paraguay, is founded.

1540–Arequipa, Peru, is founded.

1549–Jesuit priest, Francis Xavierm comes ashore at Kagoshima, Japan.

1599–In the Nine Years' War, Irish forces, led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell, successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, sent to relieve Collooney Castle.

1695–French forces end the bombardment of Brussels, leaving a third of the buildings in the city in ruins.

1769–General and Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, is born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. He rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade, while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. He was married to Joséphine de Beauharnais and Marie Louise of Austria.

1771–Author, poet, and playwright, Walter Scott, is born at College Wynd, Edinburgh, Scotland. Many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Old Mortality, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor. Although primarily remembered for his extensive literary works and his political engagement, Scott was an advocate, judge. and legal administrator by profession.

1812–In the War of 1812, the Battle of Fort Dearborn is fought between U.S. troops and that Potawatomi at what is now Chicago, Illinois.

1813–Politician, Jules Grévy, is born François Paul Jules Grévy in Mont-sous-Vaudrey, France. He was the fourth President of the French Republic. Given that his predecessors were monarchists who tried without success to restore the French monarchy, Grévy is seen as the first real republican President of France.

1824–The Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving French general of the American Revolutionary War, arrives in New York and begins a tour of 24 states.

1824–Cattle baron, John Simpson Chisum, is born in in Hardeman County, Tennessee. He was one of the first cattlemen to operate in New Mexico Territory, and a player in the Lincoln County War. He is known for his refusal to pay an alleged debt of $500.00 to Billy the Kid, who reciprocated by stealing the equivalent amount of cattle from the rancher. Chisum's story has been portrayed on film by John Wayne in Chisum and James Coburn in Young Guns II.

1843–The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii, is dedicated. As the present-day cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.

1843–Tivoli Gardens opens in Copenhagan, Denmark. It includes a variety of attractions: buildings in the exotic style of an imaginary Orient; a theatre, band stands, restaurants and cafés, flower gardens, and mechanical amusement rides such as a merry-go-round and a primitive scenic railway. After dark, colored lamps illuminate the gardens. Tivoli Gardens is the oldest amusement park in the world.

1860–Florence Harding, wife of President Warren G. Harding, is born Florence Mabel Kling in Marion, Ohio. She was the 31st First Lady of the United States.

1863–The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom.

1865–Japanese spiritual leader, Mikao Usui, is born in Taniai (present-day Miyama cho), Japan. He was the founder of Reiki, used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases.

1869–The Meiji government in Japan establishes six new ministries, including one for Shinto.

1872–Indian guru and philosopher, Sri Aurobindo, is born Aurobindo Acroyd Ghosh in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India). He joined the Indian movement for independence from British rule, for a while became one of its influential leaders, and then became a spiritual reformer, introducing his visions on human progress and spiritual evolution. During his stay in Pondicherry, Aurobindo developed a method of spiritual practice he called Integral Yoga. The central theme of his vision was the evolution of human life into a life divine. He believed in a spiritual realisation that not only liberated man, but transformed his nature, enabling a divine life on Earth. In 1926, with the help of his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa ("The Mother"), he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

1879–Stage and screen actress, Ethel Barrymore, is born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She appeared in the films (Silent) The Nightingale, The White Raven, Life’s Whirlpool, The Divorcee; and (Sound) None But the Lonely Heart, The Spiral Staircase, The Farmer's Daughter, The Paradine Case, Portrait of Jennie, Pinky, Kind Lady, The Story of Three Loves, and Young at Heart. She was a member of the Barrymore acting family: her brothers were actors, Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore; she was the aunt of actor, John Drew Barrymore; and great-aunt of actress, Drew Barrymore.

1885–Author, Edna Ferber, is born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big, Show Boat, Saratoga Trunk, Cimarron, and Giant.

1890–Super-centenarian, Elizabeth Bolden, is born Elizabeth Jones in Somerville, Tennessee. She was the daughter of freed slaves. She would live to the age of 116 years (and 118 days). At the time of her 116th birthday in August 2006, Bolden had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great grandchildren, and 75 great-great-great-great-grandchildren.

1893–The Ibadan area becomes a British Protectorate after a treaty signed by Fijabi, the Baale of Ibadan, with the British acting Governor of Lagos, George C. Denton.

1904–George (Johann) Klein is born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He invented the motorized wheelchair. Klein worked for 40 years as a mechanical engineer at the National Research Council of Canada Laboratories in Ottawa, Canada.

1907–The ordination of Fr. Raphael Morgan, the first African-American Orthodox priest ("Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies), takes place in Constantinople.

1912–Chef, author, and TV personality, Julia Child, is born Julia Carolyn McWilliams in Pasadena, California. She is credited with bringing French cuisine to the American kitchen through her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She also hosted several television cooking programs, the best known being The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. Child would become an icon of American popular culture.

1912–Actress, Wendy (Margaret) Hiller, is born in Bramhall, Cheshire, England. She appeared in the films Pygmalion, Major Barbara, Separate Tables, Toys in the Attic, A Man for All Seasons, Murder on the Orient Express, The Elephant Man, and Making Love.

1914–A male servant of American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, murders seven people and sets fire to the living quarters of the Wright's Wisconsin home, Taliesin, burning it to the ground.

1914–The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship SS Ancon.

1915–A story in The New York World newspaper reveals that the Imperial German government had purchased excess phenol from Thomas Edison, which could be used to make explosives for the war effort; it was diverted to Bayer for aspirin production.

1920–In the Polish-Soviet War, the Battle of Warsaw (or the so-called Miracle at the Vistula) takes place.

1920–Actor, Huntz Hall, is born Henry Richard Hall in New York, New York. He is known for his roles in the "Dead End Kids" movies, which led to the "The Bowery Boys" movies, a highly successful series of comedies in the 1940s and 1950s.

1923–Actress and singer, Rose Marie, is born Rose Marie Mazetta in New York, New York. She is best known for the role of Sally Rodgers on the TV series The Dick Van Dyke Show. As a child performer, she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie. A veteran of vaudeville and one of its last surviving stars, her career includes film, radio, records, theater, night clubs, and television. She was married to trumpeter, Bobby Guy.

1924–Constitutional lawyer and conservative activist, Phyllis Schafly, is born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart in St. Louis, Missouri.

1925–Actor, Mike Connors, is born Krekor Ohanian in Fresno, California. He is best known for the starring role of detective Joe Mannix in the TV series Mannix. He appeared in the films Sudden Fear, Island in the Sky, Day the World Ended, Swamp Women, The Ten Commandments, Shake Rattle and Rock, Good Neighbor Sam, Where Love Has Gone, and Harlow.

1925–Jazz pianist, Oscar (Emmanuel) Peterson, is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings and won eight Grammy Awards. He is considered to have been one of the greatest jazz pianists, playing thousands of concerts worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years.

1925–Bill Pinkney, of The Drifters, is born Willie Pinkney in Dalzell, South Carolina.

1926–Politician, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, is born in Patras, Greece. He was the sixth President of Greece.

1932–TV show host, Jim Lange, is born James John Lange in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is best known for hosting the swinging 1960s game show The Dating Game.

1933–Singer, Bobby Helms, is born Robert Lee Helms in Bloomington, Indiana. He is best known for the hits My Special Angel and Jingle Bell Rock.

1935–Humorist, lecturer, and writer, Will Rogers, dies in a plane crash at Point Barrow, Territory of Alaska (present-day Alaska), at age 55. Aviator, Wiley Post, was also killed in the crash. Rogers, one of the giants of vaudeville, was often referred to as an American folk hero, even during his lifetime, and earned the nickname of the "cowboy philosopher." In 1926, Rogers started writing syndicated articles for The New York Times. He commented on daily news bits and philosophy, but focused mainly on a humorous political commentary, which he had introduced in his show. He was also an author of several works including The Cowboy Philosopher on Prohibition and Will Rogers's Political Follies. His most famous saying was “ I never met a man I didn’t like.” He appeared in the films A Connecticut Yankee, Business and Pleasure, State Fair, Doctor Bull, Handy Andy, Life Begins At Forty, Doubting Thomas, Steamboat Round the Bend, and In Old Kentucky.

1938–Politician, Maxine (Moore) Waters, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the U.S. Representative for California's 43rd congressional district, and previously the 35th and 29th districts, serving since 1991. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the most senior of the 12 black women currently serving in the U.S. Congress, and was a member and former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was married to football player, Sid Williams.

1939–Thirteen Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. There are no survivors.

1939–The Wizard of Oz premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

1940–An Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks the Greek cruiser, Elli, at Tinos harbor during peace time, marking the most serious Italian provocation prior to the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in the coming October.

1941–Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London, in London, England, making him the last person executed there for espionage.

1941–Jazz singer, Peggy Lee, records her first vocal with the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

1942–During World War II, the SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat, carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses.

1942–Peter York, of The Spencer Davis Group, is born in Middlesborough, England.

1944–In World War II, Allied forces land in southern France during Operation Dragoon.

1944–Journalist and author, Linda Ellerbee, is born Linda Jane Smith in Bryan, Texas. She is known for several jobs at NBC News, including Washington, D.C. correspondent, and also as host of the Nickelodeon network's Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. Her autobiography, And So It Goes, was published in 1986.

1944–Singer and actress, Sylvie Vartan, is born Sylvie Georges Vartanian in Iskrets, Sofia Province, Kingdom of Bulgaria. She is known as one of the most productive and tough-sounding yé-yé artists. Her performances often featured elaborate show-dance choreography, and she made many appearances on French and Italian TV in the 1960s. In 1964, she appeared at the Paris Olympia as the main attraction on the same bill as The Beatles and Trini Lopez.

1945–Effective the surrender of Japan in World War II, Korea gains its Independence.

1945–Actress, Jill Haworth, is born Valerie Jill Haworth in Hove, Sussex, England. She appeared in the films The Brides of Dracula, Exodus, The Cardinal, In Harm’s Way, and It!

1946–Songwriter, Jimmy Webb, is born in Elk City, Oklahoma. Among his songs are Up, Up and Away, MacArthur Park, and The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress.

1947–India gains independence from British rule after near 190 years of Crown rule, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.

1947–Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is sworn in as first Governor-General of Pakistan in Karachi.

1948–The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north.

1948–CBS-TV inaugurates the first nightly news broadcast with anchorman, Douglas Edwards.

1950–Tommy Aldridge, drummer for Motörhead, Whitesnake, Black Oak Arkansas, and Thin Lizzy, is born in Pearl, Mississippi.

1950–Anne, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom, is born Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise at Clarence House, London, England. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

1951–Jazz singer, Bobby Caldwell, is born Robert Hunter Caldwell in Manhattan, New York. His biggest hit was What You Won’t Do for Love in 1978.

1952–A flash flood drenches the town of Lynmouth, England, killing 34 people.

1952–Chuck Burgi, drummer for Blue Öyster Cult, is born Charles Arnold Burgi III in Montclair, New Jersey.

1954–Alfredo Stroessner begins his dictatorship in Paraguay.

1958–Buddy Holly and Maria Elena Santiago marry in a private ceremony at his parents home in Lubbock, Texas. The couple had met only two months earlier.

1958–Bluesman, Big Bill Broonzy, dies of throat cancer in Chicago, Illinois, at age 65. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country blues to mostly African-American audiences. Through the 1930s and 1940s, he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with working-class African-American audiences. Broonzy copyrighted more than 300 songs during his lifetime, including both adaptations of traditional folk songs and original blues songs.

1959–Astronaut, Scott (Douglas) Altman, is born in Lincoln, Illinois. He is a U.S. Navy Captain, engineer, test pilot, and a veteran of four Space Shuttle missions. His fourth mission on STS-125 was the last servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

1960–The Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) becomes independent from France.

1961–Border guard, Conrad Schumann, flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall.

1962–James Joseph Dresnok defects to North Korea after running across the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

1962–The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club for a night time show. Pete Best plays with The Beatles for the last time. The next day he would be summoned to Brian Epstein’s office, where he was told the other Beatles no longer want him in the group.

1962–Celebrity chef and TV personality, Tom Colicchio, is born Thomas Patrick Colicchio in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was a co-founder and former executive chef of the Gramercy Tavern in New York, and the founder of the Craft and Colicchio & Sons restaurants. Colicchio has been the head judge and host of the Bravo network cooking competition show, Top Chef, since its inception.

1963–The execution of Henry John Burnett, the last man to be hanged in Scotland, takes place.

1963–President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of the Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.

1964–A chart topper: Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean Martin.

1964–Businesswoman and philanthropist, Melinda Gates, is born Melinda Ann French in Dallas, Texas. She worked at Microsoft, where she was project manager for Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia. She co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is married to Microsoft billionaire, Bill Gates.

1965–The Beatles perform what may be the most famous live performance of their career: their first concert at New York’s Shea Stadium. The audience of 55,600 fans is the largest ever to attend a pop music concert up to that time. The Beatles are paid $160,000 for this one performance. New York City authorities veto the Beatles planned arrival inside the stadium by helicopter, so a Wells Fargo armored truck transports them into the stadium grounds and they run out onto the stage, located at second base. The concert is filmed by Sullivan Productions, in association with NEMS Enterprises and Subafilms, for a one-hour color TV special, The Beatles at Shea Stadium, for the U.S. market. The film is first shown in the U.S. on January 10, 1967, on ABC-TV.

1965–Screenwriter and producer, Rob Thomas, is born Robert James Thomas in Sunnyside, Washington. His work in television includes Dawson’s Creek, Veronica Mars, 90210, and iZombie.

1966–The Beatles, on their final tour of America, perform one show at D.C. Stadium, Washington, D.C., in front of a crowd of 32,164. Five members of the Ku Klux Klan, led by the Imperial Wizard of Maryland, picket the concert.

1966–The Monkees release their big hit Last Train to Clarksville.

1968–Actress, Debra (Lynn) Messing, is born in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for her role on the sitcom Will & Grace. She appeared in the films A Walk in the Clouds, Celebrity, Along Came Polly, and Lucky You.

1969–The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, a three-day gathering that came to define the generation that came of age during the turbulent 1960s, begins on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York. Two dozen bands come to play on a wooden stage in the middle of a pasture. It is a happening unlike any other: 450,000 people, most without tickets, form a love-in for three days and nights. Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Sly and the Family Stone, Country Joe and the Fish, The Grateful Dead, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Richie Havens, and Crosby, Stills & Nash are among the many performers at the festival. There are hippies, bikers, Viet Nam war vets, high school kids, college students; they are longhaired and short, young and old, and the world watches and joins in through the magic of the media. Woodstock marked an era, one that will never come again.

1970–Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game.

1971–President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the U.S. dollar into gold by foreign investors.

1971–Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom.

1972–Actor and screenwriter, Ben Affleck, is born Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt in Berkeley, California. He appeared in the films School Ties, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy, Shakespeare in Love, Armageddon, Reindeer Games, Pearl Harbor, The Sum of All Fears, Changing Lanes, Jersey Girl, Hollywoodland, The Company Men, and Argo. His brother is actor, Casey Affleck. He was married to actress, Jennifer Garner.

1973–The United States stops the bombing of Cambodia.

1974–Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, is killed during an apparent assassination attempt upon President Park Chung-hee.

1975–Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh, dies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, at age 55. A group of junior army officers invaded the presidential residence with tanks and killed Mujib, his family, and personal staff. Mujib's death plunged the nation into many years of political turmoil. The coup leaders were soon overthrown and a series of counter-coups and political assassinations paralysed the country.

1975–Takeo Miki makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine as an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II.

1975–Businessman, Clay Shaw, dies of metastatic lung cancer in New Orleans, Louisiana, at age 61. He was the only person prosecuted in connection with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was acquitted. Shaw was portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones in Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK.

1977–The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space: the event is named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project.

1984–The Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey begins a campaign of armed attacks upon the Turkish military with an attack on police and gendarmerie bases in Semdinli and Eruh.

1984–Record producer, Norman Petty, dies in Lubbock, Texas, at age 57. His studio in Clovis, New Mexico, turned out hits by Buddy Holly (That’ll Be the Day), Buddy Knox (Party Doll), and The Fireballs (Torquay). Petty also managed Buddy Holly and the Crickets for a time. As a producer, he helped pioneer the Tex-Mex sound.

1987–Thousands of fans begin to file past Elvis’ grave at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of a week-long vigil to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death.

1995–In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel. She will drop out less than a week later.

1995–Newscaster, John Cameron Swayze, dies in Sarasota, Florida, at age 89. He was a spokesperson and game show panelist during the 1950s. In 1949, Swayze was chosen to host NBC's first television newscast, the 15-minute Camel News Caravan. He read items from the news wires and periodically interviewed newsmakers. He was also widely known for starring in a series of TV commercials for Timex, where he recited the tagline, "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

1998–The Omagh bombing takes place in Northern Ireland, as the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles.

1999–The Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria takes place as about 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.

2005–Israel's unilateral disengagement plan to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank begins.

2005–The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia is signed, ending 28 years of fighting.

2007–An 8.0 earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 people and injuring 1,090 others.

2008–Record producer, Jerry Wexler, dies of congestive heart failure in Sarasota, Florida, at age 91. He was co-owner of Atlantic records and Vice President at Warner Brothers Records. Asked by a documentary filmmaker several years before his death what he wanted on his tombstone, Wexler replied, “Two words: More bass.”

2012–Actor, Biff Elliot, dies in Studio City, California, at age 89. He appeared in the films I, the Jury, House of Bamboo, Good Morning Miss Dove, The True Story of Jesse James, The Enemy Below, Pork Chop Hill, PT 109, Brainstorm, Destination Inner Space, Kotch, Save the Tiger, The Front Page, and That’s Life!

2013–The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivoran species found in the Americas in 35 years.

2013–At least 27 people are killed and 226 others are injured in an explosion in southern Beirut, Lebanon, near a complex used by Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah.

2014–Former U.S. Vice President, Al Gore, files a lawsuit against Al Jazeera Media Network, accusing the Middle Eastern broadcaster of fraud and citing the refusal to turn over “tens of millions of dollars” remaining in an escrow account and still owed to the selling shareholders of Current TV. The network was acquired by Al Jazeera (from an ownership group headed by Gore) in January 2013.

2015–North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time, 8.5 hours ahead of UTC.

2015–Activist, Julian Bond, dies in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, at age 75. He was a politician, professor, and leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Bond was elected to four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives and later to six terms in the Georgia Senate, having served a combined 20 years in both legislative chambers. From 1998 to 2010, he was Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the first President of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

2016–The Obama administration transfers 15 Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United Arab Emirates.

2016–Former English Premier League player, Dalian Atkinson, dies after being tasered by police in Telford, Shropshire, England.

2016–Jazz musician, Bobby Hutcherson, dies of emphysema in Montara, California, at age 65. He was a vibraphone and marimba player.


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