| 1464 | An ordinance of Louis XI in France created the poste, organizing relays of horses on the main roads for the king's business. |
| 1754 | The Anglo-French war broke out in North America when a force under George Washington skirmished with French troops near Fort Duquesne |
| 1769 | Hyder Ali of Mysore compelled the British at Madras to sign a treaty of mutual assistance. |
| 1809 | Curwen's Act was passed in Britain, to prevent the sale of parliamentary seats, thus decreasing the number of seats which the British government can manipulate for its regular supporters. |
| 1829 | Robert Peel's Act was passed, to establish a new police force in London and its suburbs. |
| 1867 | Emperor Maximilian was executed in Mexico |
| 1917 | The British royal family renounced German names and titles, having adopted the name of Windsor. |
| 1963 | US President Kennedy gave the address to Congress on civil rights. |
| 1965 | Ben Bella, president of Algeria, was deposed; Houari Boumédienne headed a revolutionary council. |
| 1970 | Harold Wilson resigned as prime minister |
| 1996 | A vast freshwater lake 4 km/2.5 mi under the ice of Antarctica was discovered. The lake covers 14,000 sq km/5,000 sq mi, and is kept from freezing by the friction of the ice and by heat radiating from the earth's core. |
| 1996 | Britain offered to slaughter up to 67,000 more cattle in an effort to end the ban on British beef. |
| 1997 | The US fast-food chain McDonalds won a two-year libel case in Britain against two environmental campaigners who claimed that the company caused environmental damage and exploited workers in the Third World. |