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1997–Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace, is shot dead outside the Versace Mansion in Miami, Florida, by Andrew Cunanan. Cunanan committed suicide a few days later, avoiding capture.


BC 484–The dedication of the Temple of Castor and Pollux is held in ancient Rome.

70–Titus and his armies breach the walls of Jerusalem.

756–Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is ordered by his Imperial Guards to execute chancellor Yang Guozhong by forcing him to commit suicide or face a mutiny. He permits his consort, Yang Guifei, to be strangled by his chief eunuch. General An Lushan has other members of the Emperor's family killed.

1099–In the First Crusade, Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.

1149–The reconstructed Church of the Holy Sepulchre is consecrated in Jerusalem.

1207–King John of England expels Canterbury monks for supporting Archbishop Stephen Langton.

1240–A Novgorodian army, led by Alexander Nevsky, defeats the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva.

1273–Ethiopian monk and Saint, Ewostatewos, is born.

1291–Rudolf I of Germany dies in in Speyer, a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, at age 73. He was the first German king of the Habsburg dynasty.

1299–King Eric II of Norway dies in Bergen, Norway, at age 31.

1353–Russian Prince, Vladimir the Bold, is born.

1381–John Ball, a leader in the Peasants' Revolt, is hanged, then drawn and quartered in the presence of King Richard II of England.

1410–In the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War, the allied forces of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeat the army of the Teutonic Order.

1410–Ulrich von Jungingen, German Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, dies in battle during the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War in Grunwald, State of the Teutonic Order, at age 50.

1445–Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland, dies at Dunbar Castle, East Lothian, at age 41.

1455–Queen Yun of Korea is born in the Kingdom of Joseon.

1471–Ethiopian Emperor, Eskender, is born.

1482–Muhammad XII is crowned the 22nd, and last, Nasrid King of Granada.

1542–Lisa del Giocondo dies at the Convent of Saint Orsola in Florence, Italy, at age 63. She was the model for the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance. Centuries after Lisa's death, Mona Lisa became the world's most famous painting and took on a life separate from Lisa, the woman. The Mona Lisa has been in custody of France since the 16th century, when it was acquired by King Francis I. After the French Revolution, it came into the possession of the people. Today, about six million people visit the painting each year at the Louvre in Paris, France, where it is part of a French national collection.

1606–Dutch painter and etcher, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, is born in Leiden, Dutch Republic, under the Spanish Empire (present-day Netherlands). He is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art and the most important in Dutch history. Rembrandt's greatest creative triumphs are exemplified in portraits of his contemporaries, self-portraits, and illustrations of scenes from the Bible.

1685–During the Monmouth Rebellion, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, is executed at Tower Hill, England, after his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor.

1737–Princess Louise of France is born.

1741–Aleksei Chirikov sights land in Southeast Alaska. He sends men ashore in a longboat, making them the first Europeans to visit Alaska.

1789–Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, is named by acclamation Colonel General of the new National Guard of Paris.

1789–The electors of Paris set up a Commune to live without the authority of the government.

1799–The Rosetta Stone is found during Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign in the Egyptian village of Rosetta, by French Captain Pierre-François Bouchard.

1806–U.S. Army Lieutenant, Zebulon Pike, begins an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, Missouri, to explore the West.

1815–During the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders aboard the HMS Bellerophon.

1823–A fire destroys the ancient Basilica of Saint Paul, outside the walls in Rome, Italy.

1834–The Spanish Inquisition is officially disbanded after nearly 356 years.

1838–Ralph Waldo Emerson delivers the Divinity School Address at Harvard Divinity School, discounting Biblical miracles and declaring Jesus a great man, but not God. The Protestant community reacts with outrage.

1862–The CSS Arkansas, the most effective ironclad on the Mississippi River, battles with Union ships, commanded by Admiral David Farragut, severely damaging three ships and sustaining heavy damage herself. The encounter changes the complexion of warfare on the Mississippi and helped to reverse Rebel fortunes on the river.

1869–Margarine is patented in Paris, France, for use by the French Navy.

1870–Georgia becomes the last of the former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War.

1870–Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory are transferred to Canada from the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Province of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories are established from these vast territories.

1876–Philosopher and poet, Juan Pablo Duarte, dies in Caracas, Venezuela, at age 63. He is one of the founding fathers of the Dominican Republic. He was a visionary and liberal thinker, who along with Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and Matías Ramón Mella, is widely considered to be the architect of the Dominican Republic and its independence from Haitian rule in 1844.

1888–The stratovolcano, Mount Bandai, erupts in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, killing approximately 500 people.

1904–Writer, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, dies of tuberculosis in Badenweiler, German Empire, at age 44. He was a physician, dramaturge, and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history.

1904–The first Buddhist temple in the U.S. is established in Los Angeles, California.

1905–Politician, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, is born in Jalandhar, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, India). He was the fourth Prime Minister of Pakistan.

1908–Jean Cocteau, age 18, sees his first published poem, “Les Façades,” appear in the chic Parisian journal Je Sais Tout.

1910–In his book Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin gives a name to Alzheimer's disease, naming it after his colleague Alois Alzheimer.

1913–Country singer, Cowboy Copas, is born.

1916–In Seattle, Washington, William Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt incorporate Pacific Aero Products (later renamed Boeing).

1918–In World War I, the Second Battle of the Marne begins near the River Marne with a German attack.

1919–Novelist and philosopher, (Jean) Iris Murdoch, is born in Dublin, Ireland. Her first published novel, Under the Net, was selected in 1998 as one of Modern Library's 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Her other books include The Bell, A Severed Head, The Red and the Green, The Nice and the Good, The Black Prince, Henry and Cato, The Sea the Sea, The Philosopher's Pupil, The Good Apprentice, The Book and the Brotherhood, The Message to the Planet, and The Green Knight.

1920–The Polish Parliament establishes Silesian Voivodeship before the Polish-German plebiscite.

1922–The Japanese Communist Party is established in Japan.

1923–Drummer, Philly Joe Jones, is born.

1926–Actor, Angus (Newton) MacKay, is born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He appeared in the films Darling, Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment, Secret Ceremony, Revenge, The Mirror Crack’d, National Lampoon's European Vacation, and Prick Up Your Ears.

1927–Eighty-nine protesters are killed by the Austrian police in Vienna, Austria. The clash was the result of conflict between the Social Democratic Party of Austria and a right-wing alliance including wealthy industrialists and the Catholic Church.

1935–Football player and actor, Alex Karras, is born.

1935–Actor, Ken Kercheval, is born.

1938–Politician, Barry Goldwater, Jr., is born.

1944–Actor, Jan-Michael Vincent, is born.

1946–The State of North Borneo (present-day Sabah, Malaysia) is annexed by the United Kingdom.

1947–Peter Banks, guitarist for progressive rock group, Yes, is born Peter William Brockbanks in Barnet, North London, England.

1948–Artimus Pyle, of Lynyrd Skynyrd, is born.

1948–Twinkle, a popular girl singer during the British Invasion years, is born Lynn Annette Ripley in Surbiton, Surrey, England. She had chart successes in the 1960s with her best known songs, Terry and Golden Lights. She dated Peter Noone (of Herman Hermits) in 1965. After recording six singles for Decca Records, she "retired" at the age of 18 in 1966.

1948–American General, John J. Pershing, dies.

1950–Journalist, Arianna Huffington, is born. She founded The Huffington Post.

1951–Wrestler and politician, Jesse Ventura, is born. He was the 38th Governor of Minnesota.

1952–Marky Ramone, drummer for The Ramones, is born.

1952–Johnny Thunders, of The New York Dolls, is born.

1953–Disco singer, Alicia Bridges, is born.

1954–The first flight of the Boeing 367-80, prototype for both the Boeing 707 and C-135 series, takes place.

1954–American journalist and blogger, Jeff Jarvis, is born.

1955–Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by 34 others.

1957–A chart topper: Bye Bye Love by The Everly Brothers.

1958–John Lennon's mother, Julia Stanley Lennon Dykins, is killed instantly when she is hit by a car while walking to a bus stop in Liverpool, England, at age 44. She had been visiting her sister, Mimi Smith. The car is driven by an off-duty policeman who is driving while intoxicated. John continued to live with his Aunt Mimi, while his two half-sisters went to live with their Aunt Harriet, Julia's youngest sister. The driver who hit Julia stood trial, but he was acquitted. John, only 17 years old, begins to seek solace in alcohol and music. He later wrote the songs Julia and My Mummy’s Dead about his mother. John’s first son, Julian, was named after her.

1959–The steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in U.S. history.

1960–Actor, Willie Aames, is born.

1960–Model, Kim Alexis, is born.

1961–Actress, Lolita Davidovich, is born.

1961–Actor, Forest Whitaker, is born.

1963–Elvis Presley begins shooting Viva Las Vegas, which proves to be one the coolest and most popular Elvis movies of all time. He meets his match in this one with his talented co-star, Ann Margret.

1963–Danish-American model and actress, Brigitte Nielsen, is born. She was married to actor, Sylvester Stallone.

1964–A chart topper: A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles.

1966–The United States and South Vietnam begin Operation Hastings to push the North Vietnamese out of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone.

1966–Percy Sledge's first and biggest hit, When a Man Loves a Woman, earns him his first and only Gold Record.

1968–Apple Corps Ltd. moves into new offices at 3 Savile Row in London, England.

1971–The United Red Army is founded in Japan.

1971–John Lennon and Yoko Ono attend a book-signing promotional appearance at the London department store, Selfridges, for the re-publication of Yoko's avant garde book Grapefruit.

1973–A depressed Ray Davies, balancing a beer can on his head, announces he is retiring from music during a concert by The Kinks at White City Stadium in London, England. His decision is brought on by exhaustion and his wife recently leaving him. He returns to the group within the week.

1973–Actor, Brian Austin Green, is born.

1974–In Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek junta-sponsored nationalists launch a coup d'état, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.

1975–The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project features the dual launch of an Apollo spacecraft and a Soyuz spacecraft on the first joint Soviet-United States human-crewed flight. It is both the last launch of an Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn family of rockets.

1979–President Jimmy Carter gives his so-called “malaise” speech, where he characterizes the greatest threat to the country as "this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation."

1979–Politician, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, dies of colorectal cancer in Mexico City, Mexico, at age 68. He was President of Mexico.

1980–Linda Ronstadt makes her stage debut in The Pirates of Penzance at the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park in New York City. The musical comedy will be made into a movie starring Ronstadt, Kevin Kline, and other original cast members.

1980–A massive storm tears through western Wisconsin, causing $160 million in damage.

1983–An attack is launched by the Armenian militant organisation ASALA at the Paris-Orly Airport in Paris, France. Eight people are killed and 55 others are injured.

1990–Actress, Margaret Lockwood, dies.

1991–Television personality, Bert Convy, dies of a brain tumor in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, at age 57. He hosted the TV game shows Super Password, Tattletales, and Win, Lose, or Draw. He appeared in the films A Bucket of Blood, Susan Slade, Act One, Semi-Tough, Jennifer, Hero at Large, and The Cannonball Run.

1992–Politician, Hammer DeRoburt, dies. He was the first President of Nauru.

1996–A Belgian Air Force C-130 Hercules, carrying the Royal Netherlands Army marching band, crashes on landing at Eindhoven Airport.

1996–Actress, Dana Hill, dies while in a diabetic coma in Burbank, California, at age 32. She appeared in the films Fallen Angel, Shoot the Moon, A Member of the Wedding, Cross Creek, and National Lampoon’s European Vacation.

1997–Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace, is shot dead outside the Versace Mansion in Miami, Florida, at age 50. The murderer was spree killer, Andrew Cunanan. Cunanan committed suicide a few days later, avoiding capture.

1998–In the Sri Lankan Civil War, Sri Lankan Tamil MP S. Shanmuganathan is killed by a claymore mine.

2002–Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan hands down the death sentence to British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and life terms to three others, suspected of murdering The Wall Street Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl.

2002–"American Taliban" John Walker Lindh pleads guilty to supplying aid to the enemy and to possession of explosives during the commission of a felony.

2003–AOL Time Warner disbands Netscape. The Mozilla Foundation is established on the same day.

2006–Twitter is launched, becoming one of the largest social media platforms in the world.

2006–Entrepreneur, Robert H. Brooks, dies. He founded the Hooters restaurant chain.

2012–Actress, Celeste Holm, dies of a heart attack in New York, New York, at age 95. She appeared in the films Three Little Girls in Blue, Gentlemen’s Agreement, The Snake Pit, All About Eve, The Tender Trap, High Society, Bachelor Flat, Tom Sawyer, Three Men and a Baby, and Still Breathing.

2014–A train derails on the Moscow Metro, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 160 others.

2015–Politician, Wan Li, dies in Beijing, China, at age 98. He was the fourth Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China.

2015–Character actor, Aubrey Morris, dies in at age 89. He appeared in the TV shows Tales from the Crypt, The Prisoner, The Saint, The Avengers, Babylon 5, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He appeared in the films Night Caller from Outer Space, Up the Junction, If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man, Love and Death, Lisztomania, and Oxford Blues.

2016–Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, chooses Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his vice presidential running mate.

2016–Scientists say they have unearth fossils in northern Patagonia of a two-legged, up to 26-foot-long predator dinosaur, with arms only about two feet long. The fossils of Gualicho shinyae, named after an evil spirit feared by Patagonia's indigenous Tehuelche people, were discovered in Argentina's Rio Negro Province. The dinosaur prowled Argentina 90 million years ago.

2017–A newly-published paper suggests that some tardigrades may outlive most life on Earth. Also known as water bears, space bears, or moss piglets, tardigrades are water-dwelling, eight-legged, segmented micro-animals. They have been found everywhere: from mountaintops to the deep sea and mud volcanoes; and from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic. They can go without food or water for more than 30 years, drying out to the point where they are 3% or less water, only to rehydrate, forage, and reproduce. About 1,150 species of tardigrades have been described.

2017–Actor, Martin Landau, dies in Los Angeles, California, at age 89. He is best known for his role on the TV spy series Mission: Impossible. He appeared in the films Pork Chop Hill, North by Northwest, The Gazebo, Cleopatra, The Hallelujah Trail, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Nevada Smith, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Mistress, Intersection, Ed Wood, EDtv, and The Majestic.

2018–Manny Pacquiao knocks out Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round, winning the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.


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