1520 – Battle of Otumba, Mexico: Hernán Cortés and the Tlaxcalans defeat a numerically superior Aztec force
1807 – The first of the Treaties of Tilsit was signed between France and Russia after Napoleon’s victories over the Russians and Prussians.
1898 – The U.S. Congress annexed Hawaii through a joint resolution signed by President William McKinley on this day in 1898, paving the way for the islands to become a territory (1900) and later a U.S. state (1959).
1937 – Japanese and Chinese troops clash at the Marco Polo Bridge, beginning the Second Sino-Japanese War
1946 – Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.
1947 – Alleged and disputed Roswell UFO incident
2005 – Coordinated terrorist bomb blasts strike London’s public transport system during the morning rush hour killing 52 and injuring 700
2005 – Influenced by Live 8, the G8 leaders pledge to double 2004 levels of aid to Africa from US$25 to US$50 billion by the year 2010
Births & Deaths: 1307 – King Edward I of England died on his way to subdue the new Scottish king, Robert the Bruce.
Sport: 1990 – Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Martina Navratilova wins her record 9th Wimbledon singles title beating American Zina Garrison 6-4, 6-1
Music: 1990 – First Three Tenors concert featuring Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti at Baths of Caracalla in Rome – recording of is world’s best-selling classical record
TV & Film: 1936 – RCA shows 1st real TV program (dancing, film on locomotives, Bonwit Teller fashion show and monologue from Tobacco Road & comedy)
