1896 – Gold first discovered in Klondike, found at Bonanza Creek in the Yukon, Canada by George Carmack
1930 – I British Empire Games open in Hamilton, Canada
1945 – Puyi, the last Chinese Emperor and ruler of Manchukuo is captured by Soviet troops
1946 – Direct Action Day: Widespread riots erupt in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus over whether Pakistan should be a separate state, killing over 4,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless
1980 – British rock musician Jools Holland quits band Squeeze
1990 – South African President F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela hold emergency talks in Pretoria about increasing violence in Soweto
2012 – Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador
2012 – South African police open fire on striking mine workers and kill at least 34 people
2017 – Over 100 Maasai houses destroyed in Tanzania by game park authorities as part of a border dispute near Serengeti National Park
2017 – Three suicide bombers kill 27 people outside a refugee camp near Maiduguri in Borno state, Nigeria, Boko Haram suspected
2018 – Pope Francis and the Vatican issues statement in support of the 300 victims of “predator priests” in Pennsylvania
2020 – Biggest protests in Thailand in six years as 10,000 people demonstrate in Bangkok for reforms of the government and the monarchy
Film & TV:
1930 – The first color sound cartoon “Fiddlesticks” by Ub Iwerks (ex Walt Disney studio) is released
Music:
1974 – Ramones concert debut (NYC’s CBGBs)
Sport:
1743 – Champion of England titleholder Jack Broughton publishes ‘Rules of the Ring’ – earliest boxing code
2008 – Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt sets new world record of 9.69 seconds to win the coveted 100m gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics