733 – Battle at Tours (Poitiers): Charles Martel’s Frankish and Burgundian forces beat those of al-Andalus under Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi halting Islamic influence (date disputed)
1854 – French and British forces bombard Sevastopol for the first time during the Crimean War
1907 – Guglielmo Marconi’s company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland
1933 – Albert Einstein arrives in US as a refugee from Nazi Germany
1943 – Burma railway completed, built by Allied POWs and Asian laborers for use of the Japanese army
1957 – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip visit the White House
1973 – OPEC oil ministers use oil as an economic weapon in the Arab-Israeli War, mandating a cut in exports and recommending an embargo against unfriendly states
1979 -Mother Teresa, founder of a Roman Catholic order of women dedicated to the poor and particularly to the destitute of India, was named the recipient of that year’s Nobel Prize for Peace.
2017 – Islamic State headquarters Raqqa declared under full control of US-led alliance by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Talal Sello after 4 months of fighting
2018 – Recreational marijuana became legal in Canada.
2019 – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new Brexit deal with the EU, removes the Northern Ireland backstop clause
2019 – The ‘Blob’, mysterious yellow slime organism (physarum polycephalum) with 720 sexes, moves and can solve problems to go on display at the Paris Zoological Park
2020 – Labour Party headed by Jacinda Ardern re-elected in a landslide in New Zealand’s general election
Births & Deaths:
1918 – American actress Rita Hayworth, whose portrayal of seductresses helped earn her the nickname “The Love Goddess,” was born.
1972 – American rapper and actor Eminem, who was one of the most controversial and best-selling artists of the early 21st century, was born.
Film & TV:
1939 – “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, is released
1956 – “Around the World in 80 Days”, based on the book by Jules Verne, directed by Michael Anderson and starring David Nivon and Cantinflas, premieres in New York
Music:
1957 – Jailhouse Rock starring Elvis Presley premieres in Memphis, Tennessee
1963 – The Beatles record “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at EMI Studios in London
Sport:
1860 – 1st British Open Men’s Golf, Prestwick GC: Willie Park Sr. wins inaugural event by 2 strokes from fellow Scot Tom Morris Sr
