1767 - King Charles III of Spain gives orders to expel the Jesuits from the Spanish Empire
1804 - Forty merchantmen are wrecked when a convoy led by HMS Apollo runs aground off the coast of Portugal
1872 - US engineer George Brayton patents an internal combustion engine (Brayton Cycle)
1902 - Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated by a terrorist in the Marie Palace, St Petersburg
1977 - Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album goes to No. 1 and stays atop the charts for 31 weeks

More Historical Events »

1798 - August Heinrich Hoffmann, German writer, born in Fallersleben, Electorate of Brunswick -Lüneburg (d. 1874)
1840 - Émile Zola, French novelist and critic (J'accuse - I Accuse), born in Paris, France (d. 1902)
1927 - Carmen Basilio, American boxer (World Welterweight title 1955-56; Middleweight title 1957-58), born in Canastota, New York (d. 2012)
1940 - Mike Hailwood, British motorcycle road racer (World C'ships: 250cc – 1961, 1966, 1967; 350cc – 1966, 1967; 500cc –1962-65; 76 Grand Prix wins), born in Great Milton, England (d. 1981)
1993 - Keshorn Walcott ORTT, Trinidadian athlete (Olympic gold javelin 2012, bronze 2016), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

More Famous Birthdays »

1803 - Hieronymus van Alphen, Dutch poet of children's poems (Proeve van kleine gedigen voor Ki...