- 0475 Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople.
- 1493 Last day for all Jews to leave Sicily
- 1528 Gustav I of Sweden crowned king of Sweden.
- 1552 Dutch west coast hit by heavy storm, 100s killed
- 1583 Holland begins use of Gregorian calendar
- 1592 Titus Andronicus first staged at the Rose Theatre.
- 1598 Pope Clement VIII seizes duchy of Ferrara on death of Alfonso
- 1684 French king Louis XIV marries Madame Maintenon
- 1701 Parts of the Netherlands adopt the Gregorian calendar
- 1723 Handel's opera "Ottone" premieres, London
- 1755 Tsarina Elisabeth establishes first Russian University
- 1773 The first public Colonial American museum opens in Charleston, South Carolina.
- 1777 Mission Santa Clara de Asis founded in California
- 1780 The first issue of the Neue Zrcher Zeitung (then known as the Zrcher Zeitung) is published.
- 1806 French evacuate Vienna
- 1807 Gunpowder-ship explodes in Leiden Netherlands, 150 die
- 1809 British take Cayenne (French Guiana) from the French (until 1814)
- 1812 The first load of cargo arrives in New Orleans by steam, from Natchez
- 1813 US Frigate Chesapeake captures British Volunteer
- 1816 France decrees Bonaparte family excluded from the country forever
- 1820 Royal Astronomical Society founded in England
- 1836 Battle of Wetumka FL
- 1842 Franciscan nuns begin missionary work on Netherlands Antilles
- 1848 The Palermo rising in Sicily rises against the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies
- 1861 FL state troops demand surrender of Fort Pickens
- 1863 President Davis delivers his "State of the Confederacy" address
- 1865 Union fleet bombs Fort Fisher NC
- 1866 Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.
- 1867 Leo Tolstoy's "Smert Ioonna Groznogo," premieres in St Petersburg
- 1872 Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
- 1875 Kwang-su becomes emperor of China.
- 1876 Writer Jack London born
- 1879 British Zulu War begins Lieutenant-General Chelmsford invades Zululand
- 1895 The National Trust is founded in Britain.
- 1895 UK hist The National Trust founded in England
- 1896 The first X-ray photo in US (Dr Henry Smith, Davidson NC)
- 1898 Ito Hirobumi begins his third term as Prime Minister of Japan.
- 1900 Freeland Colony founded in US
- 1903 Rhodes Opera House burns in Boyertown PA, killing 170
- 1904 Southwest-Africa uprising under Samuel Maherero against German garison
- 1906 First time Dow Jones closes above 100 (100.26)
- 1906 Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's cabinet (which included amongst its members H.H. Asquith, David Lloyd George, and Winston Churchill) embarks on sweeping social reforms after a Liberal landslide in the British general election.
- 1907 Britain grants responsible government to former colony of Transvaal
- 1908 A long-distance radio message is sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
- 1912 -47ºF (-44ºC), Washta IA (state record)
- 1915 The Rocky Mountain National Park is formed by an act of U.S. Congress.
- 1915 United States House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote.
- 1916 Britain proclaims Gilbert & Ellice Island colony in the Pacific
- 1916 SS Dromonby, built in 1900 for the Ropner fleet it was sunk by the German raider Moewe 180 miles nw of Fastnet Rock
- 1918 Finland's "Mosaic Confessors" law went into effect, making Finnish Jews full citizens.
- 1924 History of Science Society organized at Boston
- 1926 Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll premiere their radio program Sam 'n' Henry, a precursor to Amos 'n' Andy; possibly the first situation comedy.
- 1928 Vladimir Horowitz debuts as soloist with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.
- 1929 Seatrain (RR cars on ships) service begins, New Orleans-Havana
- 1932 France's Laval government falls
- 1932 Hattie W. Caraway becomes the first woman U.S. Senator.
- 1932 Philip Barry's "Animal Kingdom," premieres in New York City NY
- 1933 US Congress recognize independence Philippines
- 1933 Uprising of Guardia Civil in Spain, 25 dies
- 1937 Plow for laying submarine cable patented
- 1940 World War II: Russia bombs cities in Finland.
- 1942 British troops reconquer Sollum
- 1942 Dutch troops on Tarakan surrender
- 1942 National War Labor Board created
- 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.
- 1943 Frankfurters replaced by Victory Sausages (mix of meat & soy meal)
- 1944 Churchill & de Gaulle begin a 2-day wartime conference in Marrakesh
- 1944 Failed resistance raid on distribution office of Borgerstraat Amsterdam
- 1945 German forces in Belgium retreat in Battle of the Bulge
- 1945 Russians open winter offensive with remarkable progress.
- 1945 US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea
- 1945 World War II: The Soviets begin a large offensive in Eastern Europe against the Nazis.
- 1948 Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi begins his final fast
- 1948 The first American style supermarket in UK opens
- 1949 "Arthur Godfrey & His Friends" premieres on CBS TV
- 1949 Dutch court affirms death sentence against SS chief Hanns Rauter
- 1949 The children's show Kukla, Fran and Ollie, a Chicago favorite on local TV, makes its NBC nationwide TV debut.
- 1950 Swedish tanker rams British submarine Truculent in Thames, 64 die
- 1950 USSR re-introduces death penalty for treason, espionage & sabotage
- 1952 University of Tennessee admits its first black student
- 1953 9 "Jewish" physicians arrested for "terrorist activities" in Moscow
- 1954 Austria's worst avalanche-kills 200; 9hours later 2nd one-kills 115
- 1954 Queen Elizabeth II opens New Zealand parliament
- 1960 Sobers & Worrell complete 399 stand for 4th wicket vs England
- 1961 "Show Girl" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City NY for 100 performances
- 1961 Number one hit on UK music charts - Johnny Tillotson - Poetry In Motion
- 1961 UN genocide pact goes into effect
- 1963 "Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence peaks at #1
- 1963 Spin bowler Bobby Simpson takes 5-57 for Australia vs England
- 1963 Visitor posting - This is my Birthday 5:25 am & my Twin @ 5:29 - USA
- 1964 Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaimed a republic.
- 1964 Revolution overthrows Sultan of Zanzibar, 1 month after independence
- 1965 "Hullabaloo" premieres on NBC-TV
- 1966 12 day New York City NY transit strike ends
- 1966 Adam West and Burt Ward star as the Dynamic Duo in Batman, which makes its colorful, action-packed debut on ABC-TV.
- 1966 Batman the TV series debuts on ABC.
- 1966 LBJ says US should stay in S Vietnam until communist aggression ends
- 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.
- 1967 Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.
- 1967 Louisville KY, draft board refuses exemption for boxer Muhammad Ali
- 1968 Beatles Film Production Ltd changes name to Apple Film Production Ltd
- 1969 Joe Namath and the New York Jets defeat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in Super Bowl III, becoming the first team from the American Football League to win American Football's top championship.
- 1969 Led Zeppelin releases their first album.
- 1970 Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian civil war.
- 1970 Biafran War ends, Biafra surrenders to Nigeria
- 1970 Boeing 747 makes its maiden voyage
- 1971 "All in the Family" premieres on CBS featuring the first " toilet flush" on TV
- 1971 All in the Family debuts on CBS.
- 1971 Congressional Black Caucus organizes
- 1971 Fed grand jury indicts Reverand Philip Berrigan & 5 others, including a nun & 2 priests, on charges of plotting to kidnap Henry Kissinger
- 1971 Harrisburg Six: The Reverend Philip Berrigan and five others are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, DC.
- 1971 Visitor posting - Birth of Jeff Diamond, software programmer and inventor. - USA
- 1973 Yassar Arafat is re-elected to lead the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
- 1974 "Joker" by Steve Miller Band peaks at #1
- 1974 Libya & Tunisia announces they are merging as "Islamic Arab Republic"
- 1975 Chrysler Corp offers first car rebates
- 1977 Anti-French demonstrations takes place in Israel after Paris released Abu Daoud, responsible 1972 Munich massacre of Israeli athletes
- 1977 Via Rail Canada is incorporated to operate inter-city passenger rail service.
- 1978 Visitor posting - Melanie Porter was born in Lynchburg, VA in a big snowstorm - USA
- 1979 6th American Music Award Barry Manilow, Linda Ronstadt win
- 1979 Los Angeles's Hillside Strangler, Kenneth Bianchi, arrested in Bellingham
- 1979 Record blizzard struck midwest killing over 100
- 1981 "Dynasty", a prime time soap opera inspired by Dallas, starring Joan Collins, premieres on ABC-TV
- 1981 Visitor posting - MATTHEW BRADY DOOLIN BORN - USA
- 1981 -35ºF (-37ºC), Chester, Massachusetts (state record)
- 1986 24th space shuttle (61-C) mission-Columbia 7-launched
- 1987 Britain's Prince Edward resigns from his Royal Marines training
- 1988 Visitor posting - Kathy Eliza BORN!!!!! - USA
- 1989 6 claim to survive in rubble, 35 days after Armenian quake (hoax)
- 1989 Idi Amin expelled from Zaire
- 1990 Civil Rights activist Reverand Al Sharpton is stabbed in Bensonhurst Brooklyn
- 1990 Romania bans Communist party
- 1991 Congress gives the go-ahead to U.S. military action against Iraq in Operation Desert Storm.
- 1991 Key Luke, movie and TV actor best known as "Number One Son" in numerous Charlie Chan movies, dies of a stroke at age 86.
- 1991 Melvin Stewart swims world record 200 meter butterfly (1 55.69)
- 1991 Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.
- 1992 A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by referendum in Mali.
- 1992 Algeria's General elections canceled after strong gains by Islamic Salvation Front in the first round
- 1992 Last building in Gateway area in Cleveland is demolished
- 1993 Doctors announce Pittsburgh Penguin Mario Limeux has Hodgkin's disease
- 1994 Malcolm X's daughter arrested for plotting Louis Farrakhan's murder
- 1995 Major earthquake kills 5,092 in Kobe Japan
- 1995 Malcolm X's daughter, Qubilah Shabazz, is arrested for conspiring to kill Louis Farrakhan.
- 1995 Murder trial against OJ Simpson, begins in Los Angeles
- 1995 Pope John Paul II begins visit to Southeast Asia
- 1995 Visitor posting - LaTravias and Terecia 11months :) ill always love you - USA
- 1996 Russian troops arrived in Bosnia on a peace keeping mission with the NATO countries
- 1997 Ice skater Oksana Baiul injured slightly whiled driving intoxicated
- 1997 Space Shuttle STS 81 (Atlantis 18), launches into space
- 1997 Tiger Woods wins Mercedes Championships
- 1998 Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.
- 2004 The World's largest ocean liner RMS Queen Mary 2 makes it's maiden voyage.
- 2005 Deep Impact (space mission) launches from Cape Canaveral by a Delta 2 rocket.
- 2006 A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims. (BBC)
- 2006 The French warship Clemenceau reaches Egypt and is barred access to the Suez Canal. Greenpeace activists board the ship. (BBC)
- 2006 The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany declare that negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have reached a dead end and recommend that Iran be referred to the United Nations Security Council. (ABC)
- 2006 Turkey releases Mehmet Ali Aca from jail after he served 25 years for shooting Pope John Paul II. (BBC)
- 2007 Comet McNaught reached perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years.
- 2010 Visitor posting - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes a small country in the Caribbean, Haiti, killing more than 300,000 people and making homeless more than 1 million.
- 2010 Visitor posting - My Mother's birthday - USA
- 2010 Visitor posting - mine and marks one week :) - USA
- 2011 Visitor posting - Greyson Floyd Campbell was born in Spokane, WA - USA
More historical events added daily - keep checking back