4000 BC – Approximate domestication of the horse in the Eurasian steppes near Dereivka, central Ukraine (hypothesis only)
1215 – Beijing, under control of Jurchen ruler Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, is captured by the Mongols under Genghis Khan, ending the Battle of Beijing
1676 – Battle of Öland: allied Danish-Dutch forces defeat the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea, during the Scanian War (1675–79)
1945 – In a speech, Indonesian nationalist leader Sukarno articulated the Pancasila—the Five Principles—that became the founding philosophy of the independent Indonesian state.
1964 – Kenya becomes a republic with Jomo Kenyatta as its 1st President
1998 – European Central Bank is founded in Brussels to define and execute the European Union’s monetary policy
Births & Deaths: 1926 – American motion-picture star Marilyn Monroe was born in Los Angeles.
1937 – Morgan Freeman, an American actor best known for his appearances in a string of well-regarded motion pictures, including Driving Miss Daisy, Lean on Me, Glory, and Million Dollar Baby, was born.
Music: 1968 – Simon & Garfunkel’s single “Mrs Robinson” from “The Graduate” hits #1 (first rock song to win Grammy for Record of the Year)
TV & Film: 1980 – 1st transmission of CNN, the Cable News Network
