Those born on this date include:
- Plymouth Colony Gov. William Bradford in 1590
- Scottish explorer of Africa David Livingstone in 1813
- Marshal Wyatt Earp in 1848
- Jurist William Jennings Bryan in 1860
- Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren in 1891
- Watergate Judge John Sirica in 1904
- Actor Patrick McGoohan in 1928
- Author Philip Roth in 1933 (age 77)
- Actress Ursula Andress in 1936 (age 74)
- Actress Glenn Close in 1947 (age 63)
- Actor Bruce Willis in 1955 (age 55)

In 721 B.C., the Roman historian Ptolemy said Babylonian astronomers noted history’s first recorded eclipse: an eclipse of the moon.

In 1915, Pluto was photographed for the first time, but not recognized as a planet.

In 1916, the first U.S. air combat mission in history saw eight Curtiss “Jenny” planes of the First Aero Squadron take off from Columbus, N.M., to aid
troops that had invaded Mexico in pursuit of the bandit Pancho Villa.

In 1918, the U.S. Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to establish standard time zones in the United
States.

In 1920, the Treaty of Versailles, establishing the League of Nations, was rejected by the U.S. Senate.

In 1931, in an effort to ease the hard times of the Great Depression, the Nevada Legislature voted to legalize gambling.

In 1942, with World War II under way, all men in the United States between the ages of 45 and 64, about 13 million, were ordered to register with the draft
boards for non-military duty.

In 1953, legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille won the only Academy Award of his career when “The Greatest Show on Earth,” a big-budget extravaganza about
circus life, was acclaimed the Best Picture of the year.

In 1987, South Carolina televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as head of the PTL Club, saying he was blackmailed after a sexual encounter with former church
secretary Jessica Hahn.

In 1991, Khaleda Zia became the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh.

In 2002, Israel completed its army’s pullout of the West Bank by leaving Bethlehem one day after Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon met with U.S. Vice
President Dick Cheney. The following day a suicide bomber killed seven Israelis on a bus.

In 2003, the U.S.-led military offensive invaded Iraq with a nighttime assault on Baghdad.

Also in 2003, the U.S. Senate rejected a proposal supported by the Bush administration to allow drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

In 2004, on the first anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, officials said 571 U.S. military personnel had been killed.

In 2005, Pakistan was reported to have successfully tested a nuclear-capable missile with a range of 1,250 miles.

In 2006, the disputed presidential election in Belarus sparked street protests throughout the country while international observers alleged fraud. Incumbent
Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed 82.6 percent of the vote, was accused of rigging the election.

In 2007, U.S. President George Bush, in a speech marking the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war, said he saw some gains through the recent troop surge
but it would take months to show substantial progress.

Also in 2007, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay allegedly admitted helping plan the bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, and the USS Cole in Yemen.

In 2008, for the sixth time in six months, the U.S. Federal Reserve cut short term interest rates, this time to 2.25 percent, in an effort to stabilize
financial markets.

Also in 2008, U.S. President George Bush marked the five-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by calling it a fight the United States “can and must
win.” He said removing Saddam Hussein from power “was the right decision.”

In 1766, the British government repealed the Stamp Act.

In 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience against the British rulers of India.

In 1926, the worst tornado in U.S. history roared through eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana, killing 695 people, injuring some
13,000 others and causing $17 million in property damage.

In 1931, the first electric razor was marketed by Schick, Inc.

In 1937, a natural gas explosion at a public school in New London, Texas, killed 410 people, most of them children.

In 1962, France and Algeria signed a cease-fire agreement ending a seven-year civil war and bringing independence to the North African country.

In 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexi Leonov became the first person to walk in space.

In 1989, the shuttle Discovery completed a five-day space mission, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1992, hotel queen and convicted tax cheat Leona Helmsley was sentenced to four years in prison.

In 1993, Contra rebels freed five hostages they held at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Costa Rica after the two sides agreed to begin talks to end the 10-day
siege.

In 1995, Michael Jordan announced he was returning to professional basketball and the Chicago Bulls after a 17-month break, during which he had tried a
baseball career.

In 1997, Zaire’s parliament fired Premier Leon Kengo wa Dondo and opened negotiations with rebel leader Laurent Kabila.

In 2000, opposition candidate Chen Shui-bian was elected president of Taiwan, ending more than 50 years of Nationalist Party rule.

In 2003, on the eve of war with Iraq, the U.S. State Department listed 30 countries as members of a “coalition of the willing” supporting military intervention
but only the United States, Britain and Australia were known to be providing troops.

In 2004, a top U.S. scientist told lawmakers that all bovines slated for consumption should be tested for mad cow disease which he called “the greatest
threat to the safety of the human food supply in modern times.”

In 2005, doctors removed the feeding tube keeping Terri Schiavo alive after a wide-ranging fight over the brain-damaged Florida woman’s care that involved
U.S. President Bush and Congress.

Also in 2005, news reports said Ukraine admitted to exporting missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, to Iran and China.

In 2006, an estimated 500,000 people took to the streets in French cities and towns for the largest protest so far against a new labor law. It allows employers
to dismiss workers under the age of 26 for any reason during the first two years on the job.

In 2007, the U.S military placed the American combat death toll in the Iraq war at 3,211.

Also in 2007, Israel’s Cabinet voted unanimously to boycott the new Hamas-dominated Palestinian unity government.