Events

• 17 – Germanicus celebrates a triumph in Rome for his victories over the Cherusci, Chatti, and other German tribes west of the Elbe.
• 451 – Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sasanian Empire takes place.
  • The Sasanids defeat the Armenians militarily but guarantee them freedom to openly practice Christianity.
• 1135 – Alfonso VII of León and Castile is crowned in León Cathedral as Imperator totius Hispaniae (Emperor of all of Spain).
• 1573 – The Battle of Haarlemmermeer, a naval engagement in the Dutch War of Independence.
• 1637 – Pequot War: A combined English and Mohegan force under John Mason attacks a village in Connecticut, massacring approximately 500 Pequots.
• 1644 – Portuguese Restoration War: Portuguese and Spanish forces both claim victory in the Battle of Montijo.
• 1736 – The Battle of Ackia is fought near the present site of Tupelo, Mississippi. British and Chickasaw soldiers repel a French and Choctaw attack on the then-Chickasaw village of Ackia.
• 1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrates the end of fighting in the American Revolution.
• 1805 – Napoléon Bonaparte assumes the title of King of Italy and is crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral, the gothic cathedral in Milan (refer to Napoleonic Wars).
• 1821 – Establishment of the Peloponnesian Senate by the Greek rebels.
• 1865 – American Civil War: The Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, is the last full general of the Confederate Army to surrender, at Galveston, Texas.
• 1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state.
• 1896 – Nicholas II becomes the last Tsar of Imperial Russia.
• 1897 – The original manuscript of William Bradford’s history, Of Plymouth Plantation, is returned to the Governor of Massachusetts by the Bishop of London after being taken during the American Revolutionary War.
• 1900 – Thousand Days’ War: The Colombian Conservative Party turns the tide of war in their favour with victory against the Colombian Liberal Party in the Battle of Palonegro.
• 1940 – World War II: Operation Dynamo: In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France.
• 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison.
• 1942 – World War II: The Battle of Gazala takes place.
• 1948 – The US Congress passes Public Law 80-557, which permanently establishes the Civil Air Patrol as an auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
• 1966 – British Guiana gains independence, becoming Guyana.
• 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
• 1972 – The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
• 1981 – An EA-6B Prowler crashes on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others.
• 1986 – The European Community adopts the European flag.
• 2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols is found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.

People (Births)

• 1264 – Koreyasu, Japanese prince and shōgun (d. 1326).
• 1650 – John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire (d. 1722).
• 1910 – Imi Lichtenfeld, Hungarian-Israeli martial artist, boxer, and gymnast (d. 1998).
• 1943 – Erica Terpstra, Dutch swimmer, journalist, and politician.
• 1949 – Ward Cunningham, American computer programmer, developed the first wiki.
• 1958 – Arto Bryggare, Finnish hurdler and politician.
• 1966 – Zola Budd, South African runner.
• 1969 – Siri Lindley, American triathlete and coach.
• 1974 – Lars Frölander, Swedish swimmer.
• 1976 – Kenny Florian, American mixed martial artist and sportscaster.
• 1979 – Natalya Nazarova, Russian sprinter.
• 1981 – Anthony Ervin, American swimmer.
• 1989 – Paula Findlay, Canadian triathlete.
• 1993 – Katerine Savard, Canadian swimmer.

People (Deaths)

• 926 – Yuan Xingqin, Chinese general and governor.
• 1818 – Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, Russian field marshal and politician, Governor-General of Finland (b. 1761).
• 1818 – Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, Chilean lawyer and guerrilla leader (b. 1785).
• 1840 – Sidney Smith, English admiral and politician (b. 1764).
• 1902 – Almon Brown Strowger, American soldier and inventor (b. 1839).
• 1944 – Christian Wirth, German SS officer (b. 1885).
• 1969 – Allan Haines Loughead, American engineer, co-founded the Lockheed Corporation (b. 1889).
• 2001 – Moven Mahachi, Zimbabwean soldier and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Defence (b. 1952).
• 2002 – Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian runner (b. 1932).
• 2008 – Zita Urbonaitė, Lithuanian cyclist (b. 1973).
• 2010 – Chris Moran, English air marshal and pilot (b. 1956).
• 2012 – Arthur Decabooter, Belgian cyclist (b. 1936).
• 2012 – Stephen Healey, Welsh captain and footballer (b. 1982).