the day in the history

1982: Hollywood princess dead

Princess Grace of Monaco dies of the injuries she sustained in a car crash near Monte Carlo yesterday.

17 year-old Marcus Sarjeant 1981: Queen's 'fantasy assassin' jailed
A teenage boy who fired blank shots at the Queen last June pleads guilty to a charge under the 1848 Treason Act.

Margaret Jagger and Gary Colley 1993: UK tourist shot dead in Florida
A British holidaymaker is murdered and his girlfriend injured during an attempted mugging in Florida.

Aerial view of Fawley oil refinery 1951: Refinery opens as oil row continues
Prime Minister Clement Attlee opens the largest oil refinery in Europe, at Fawley on Southampton Water.

1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge. Two weeks earlier Burr had been found innocent of treason.

1812 - Moscow was set on fire by Russians after Napoleon Bonaparte's troops invaded.

1847 - U.S. forces took control of Mexico City under the leadership of Gen. Winfield Scott.

1866 - George K. Anderson patented the typewriter ribbon.

1899 - In New York City, Henry Bliss became the first automobile fatality.

1901 - U.S. President William McKinley died of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Theodore Roosevelt, at age 42, succeeded him.

1915 - Carl G. Muench received a patent for Insulit, the first sound-absorbing material to be used in buildings.

1927 - Isadora Duncan died when her scarf became entangled in the wheel of her car.

1938 - The VS-300 made its first flight. The craft was based on the helicopter technology patented by Igor Sikorsky.

1940 - The Selective Service Act was passed by the U.S. Congress providing the first peacetime draft in the United States.

1959 - Luna II, a Soviet space probe, became the first man-made object on the moon when it crashed on the surface.

1960 - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded. The core members were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

1963 - Mary Ann Fischer gave birth to America's first surviving quintuplets.

1965 - "My Mother The Car" premiered on NBC TV. The series was canceled after only a few weeks after the debut.

1972 - "The Waltons" premiered on CBS-TV.

1978 - "Mork & Mindy" premiered on ABC-TV.

1982 - Princess Grace of Monaco died at the age of 52 because of injuries she suffered the day before in a car crash. She was formerly actress Grace Kelly.

1982 - Bashir Gemayel, Lebanon's president-elect, was killed by a bomb at his party's headquarters in east Beirut.

1983 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted 416-0 in a resolution condemning the Soviet Union for the shooting down of a Korean jet on September 1.

1984 - Joe Kittinger became the first person to fly a balloon solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

1985 - Reverend Benjamin Weir, an American missionary, was released after being held captive for 16 months by Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon.

1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.

1989 - Joseph T. Wesbecker shot and killed eight people and wounded twelve others at a printing plant in Louisville, KY. Wesbecker, 47 years old, was on disability for mental illness. He took his own life after the incident.

1992 - Astronomers announced evidence of the existence of a reservoir of comets beyond the planet Pluto. The comets are named the Kuiper Belt.

1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled.

1998 - Jaime Jarrin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998 - Israel announced that they had successfully tested its Arrow-2 missile defense system. The system successfully destroyed a simulated target.

1999 - Disney World closed down for the first time in its 28-year history. The closure was due to Hurricane Floyd heading for Florida.

1999 - It was announced that "US" magazine would change from monthly to weekly and change its name to "USWeekly."

2001 - Nintendo released the GameCube home video game console in Japan.

1940: Victory for RAF in Battle of Britain

RAF Fighter Command is claiming victory over the Luftwaffe after a day of heavy bombing raids ends in major losses for the enemy.

Sidney Jacobsen 1964: The Sun newspaper is born
The Sun newspaper is published today for the first time. It is replacing the Daily Herald.

Douglas MacArthur at Inchon 1950: UN stages daring assault on Inchon
The United Nations lands thousands of troops on the Korean coast behind enemy lines, in the first counter-attack of the war.

The garage where Astrid Proll worked 1978: German terror suspect arrested in UK
One of the most wanted members of the West German Baader-Meinhof gang is detained in London.

Empty London forecourt (PA) 2000: UK fuel protesters go back home
The fuel protests which have paralysed Britain for seven days are at an end.

1985: Europe win Ryder Cup
Tony Jacklin's team of golfers beats the United States in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 28 years after dominating the final day of the competition.

1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge. Two weeks earlier Burr had been found innocent of treason.

1812 - Moscow was set on fire by Russians after Napoleon Bonaparte's troops invaded.

1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner," a poem originally known as "Defense of Fort McHenry," after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, MD, during the War of 1812. The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.

1847 - U.S. forces took control of Mexico City under the leadership of General Winfield Scott.

1866 - George K. Anderson patented the typewriter ribbon.

1899 - In New York City, Henry Bliss became the first automobile fatality.

1901 - U.S. President William McKinley died of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, at age 42, succeeded him.

1915 - Carl G. Muench received a patent for Insulit, the first sound-absorbing material to be used in buildings.

1927 - Isadora Duncan died when her scarf became entangled in the wheel of her car.

1938 - The VS-300 made its first flight. The craft was based on the helicopter technology patented by Igor Sikorsky.

1940 - The Selective Service Act was passed by the U.S. Congress providing the first peacetime draft in the United States.

1948 - In New York, a groundbreaking ceremony took place at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.

1959 - Luna II, a Soviet space probe, became the first man-made object on the moon when it crashed on the surface.

1960 - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded. The core members were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

1963 - Mary Ann Fischer gave birth to America's first surviving quintuplets.

1965 - "My Mother The Car" premiered on NBC TV. The series was canceled after only a few weeks after the debut.

1972 - "The Waltons" premiered on CBS-TV.

1975 - Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.

1978 - "Mork & Mindy" premiered on ABC-TV.

1982 - Princess Grace of Monaco died at the age of 52 because of injuries she suffered the day before in a car crash. She was formerly actress Grace Kelly.

1982 - Bashir Gemayel, Lebanon's president-elect, was killed by a bomb at his party's headquarters in east Beirut.

1983 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted 416-0 in a resolution condemning the Soviet Union for the shooting down of a Korean jet on September 1.

1984 - Joe Kittinger became the first person to fly a balloon solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

1985 - Reverend Benjamin Weir, an American missionary, was released after being held captive for 16 months by Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon.

1987 - Tony Magnuson cleared 9.5 feet above the top of the U-ramp and set a new skateboard high jump record.

1989 - Joseph T. Wesbecker shot and killed eight people and wounded twelve others at a printing plant in Louisville, KY. Wesbecker, 47 years old, was on disability for mental illness. He took his own life after the incident.

1992 - Astronomers announced evidence of the existence of a reservoir of comets beyond the planet Pluto. The comets are named the Kuiper Belt.

1994 - It was announced that the season was over for the National Baseball League on the 34th day of the players strike. The final days of the regular season were canceled.

1998 - Jaime Jarrin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998 - Israel announced that they had successfully tested its Arrow-2 missile defense system. The system successfully destroyed a simulated target.

1999 - Disney World closed down for the first time in its 28-year history. The closure was due to Hurricane Floyd heading for Florida.

1999 - It was announced that "US" magazine would change from monthly to weekly and change its name to "USWeekly."

2001 - Nintendo released the GameCube home video game console in Japan.

2001 - The FBI released the names of the 19 suspected hijackers that had taken part in the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S.

1986: Kinross Miners 'killed where they stood'

At least 177 people die during a lethal fire in a South African gold mine.

Marc Bolan in 1970 1977: T-Rex singer killed in car smash
Pop star Marc Bolan is killed in a car crash in south-west London.

Chancellor Norman Lamont 1992: UK crashes out of ERM
The government suspends Britain's membership of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism.

Advert on the side of a post office van 1968: Post Office backs first class service
The new two-tier postal service proves confusing for customers, but the Post Office says it will raise extra cash.

1620 - The Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England. The ship arrived at Provincetown, MA, on November 21st and then at Plymouth, MA, on December 26th. There were 102 passengers onboard.

1630 - The village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston.

1782 - The Great Seal of the United States was impressed on document to negotiate a prisoner of war agreement with the British. It was the first official use of the impression.

1810 - The Mexicans began a revolt against Spanish rule.

1893 - The "Cherokee Strip" in Oklahoma was swarmed by hundreds of thousands of settlers.

1908 - General Motors was founded by William Crapo "Billy" Durant. The company was formed by merging the Buick and Olds car companies.

1919 - Marvin Middlemark was born. He was the inventor of the rabbit ears TV antenna.

1919 - The American Legion was incorporated by an act of the U.S. Congress.

1924 - Jim Bottomley knocked in 12 runs in a single game setting a major league baseball record.

1940 - U.S. President Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history.

1940 - Samuel T. Rayburn of Texas was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. He served for 17 years.

1941 - "The Arkansas Traveler" debuted on CBS Radio. The show was later renamed "The Bob Burns Show."

1953 - "The Robe" premiered at the Roxy Theater in New York. It was the first movie filmed in the wide screen CinemaScope process.

1953 - The St. Louis Browns of the American League were given permission to move to Baltimore, MD, where they became the Baltimore Orioles.

1963 - "The Outer Limits" premiered on ABC-TV.

1965 - "The Dean Martin Show" debuted on NBC-TV.

1968 - "The Andy Griffith Show" was seen for the final time on CBS.

1972 - "The Bob Newhart Show" premiered on CBS-TV.

1974 - U.S. President Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for draft-evaders and deserters during the Vietnam War.

1976 - The Episcopal Church formally approved women to be ordained as priests and bishops.

1982 - In west Beirut, the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children began in refugee camps of the Lebanese Christian militiamen.

1985 - The Communist Party in China announced changes in leadership that were designed to bring younger officials into power.

1987 - The Montreal Protocol was signed by 24 countries in an effort to save the Earth's ozone layer by reducing emissions of harmful chemicals by the year 2000.

1988 - Tom Browning pitched the 12th perfect game in major league baseball.

1990 - An eight-minute videotape of an address by U.S. President Bush was shown on Iraqi television. The message warned that action of Saddam Hussein could plunge them into a war "against the world."

1991 - A federal judge in Washington dismissed the Iran-Contra charges against Oliver North.

1994 - Exxon Corporation was ordered by federal jury to pay $5 billion in punitive damages to the people harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.

1994 - Two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery went on the first untethered spacewalk in 10 years.

1998 - Universal paid $9 million for the rights to the Dr. Seuss classics "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Oh, the Places You'll Go."

1998 - Meryl Streep received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1999 - In Volgodnosk, Russia, a bomb in an apartment killed at least 17 people. Chechen militants seeking independence from Russia were suspected as the planners.

1944: Airborne invasion of Holland begins

British, American and Polish troops descend behind enemy lines in an massive operation designed to bring a swift end to the war.

Protests at Sabra refugee camp 1982: Refugees massacred in Beirut camps
More than 1,000 people are feared to have been killed during a 24-hour rampage by Lebanese militia in West Beirut.

Neil Osnato walks up Broad St, New York 2001: Workers return to Wall Street
New Yorkers return to work six days after the terror attacks which devastated the heart of their city.

Derek Beackon 1993: Shock as racist wins council seat
The British National Party wins its first council seat in a by-election in East London, provoking fear in the local Asian community.

Speedboat crossing Windermere 1956: World water speed record smashed
A 48-year-old solicitor from Manchester breaks the one-hour world water speed record in his motorboat, Miss Windermere III.

1778 - The United States signed its first treaty with a Native American tribe, the Delaware Nation.

1787 - The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention.

1796 - U.S. President George Washington's Farewell Address was read before the U.S. Congress.

1862 - The Battle of Antietam took place during the American Civil War. More than 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing. The Rebel advance was ended with heavy losses to both armies.

1872 - Phillip W. Pratt patented a version of the sprinkler system.

1908 - An airplane crashed during a demonstration in Arlington Heights, VA. Thomas Selfridge was killed, becoming the first person to be killed in an airplane accident. Orville Wright, the pilot, survived with multiple hip and leg fractures.

1911 - The first transcontinental airplane flight started. It took C.P. Rogers 82 hours to fly from New York City to Pasadena, CA.

1920 - The American Professional Football Association was formed in Canton, OH. It was the precursor to the National Football League (NFL).

1930 - Construction on Boulder Dam, later renamed Hoover Dam, began in Black Canyon, near Las Vegas, NV.

1932 - Sir Malcolm Campbell set a speed record when he reached 276.27 mph over a half mile.

1939 - The Soviet Union invaded Poland. Germany had invaded Poland on September 1.

1944 - Operation "Market Garden" was launched by Allied paratroopers during World War II. The landing point was behind German lines in the Netherlands.

1947 - The first U.S. Secretary of Defense, James V. Forrestal, was sworn in to office.

1948 - Count Folk Bernadette, the United Nations mediator for Palestine, was assissinated in Jerusalem by Jewish extremists.

1949 - The Canadian passenger steamer Noronic was gutted by fire at a Toronto pier. 130 people were killed.

1953 - Ernie Banks became the first black baseball player to wear a Chicago Cubs uniform. He retired in 1971 known as 'Mr. Cub'.

1953 - The Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans, LA, successfully separated Siamese twins. Carolyn Anne and Catherine Anne Mouton were connected at the waist when born.

1955 - "The Perry Como Show" moved to Saturday nights on NBC-TV.

1961 - The Minnesota Vikings were debuted as the new National Football League (NFL) team.

1962 - U.S. space officials announced the selection of Neil A. Armstrong and eight others as new astronauts.

1963 - "The Fugitive" premiered on ABC-TV. The show starred David Janssen.

1964 - "Bewitched" premiered on ABC-TV.

1965 - "Hogan's Heroes" debuted on CBS-TV.

1966 - "Mission Impossible" premiered on CBS-TV.

1972 - "M*A*S*H" premiered on CBS-TV.

1976 - NASA unveiled the space shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, CA.

1980 - Anastasio Somoza, former Nicaraguan president, was assassinated in Paraguay.

1983 - Vanessa Williams, as Miss New York, became the first black woman to be crowned Miss America.

1983 - Johnny Bench, of the Cincinnati Reds, retired after 16 years as a catcher.

1983 - Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox broke Hank Aaron's major league record for games played when he started his 3,299th game. (MLB)

1984 - 9,706 immigrants became naturalized citizens when they were sworn in by U.S. Vice-President George Bush in Miami, FL. It was the largest group to become U.S. citizens.

1984 - Gordon P. Getty was named the richest person in the U.S. His fortune was $4.1 billion.

1984 - Reggie Jackson hit his 500th career home run. It was exactly 17 years from the day he hit his first major league home run.

1986 - A bomb exploded outside of a department store in Paris killing 7 and injuring 51.

1988 - Lt. Gen. Prosper Avril declared himself president of Haiti after President Henri Hamphy was ousted.

1991 - The United Nations General Assembly opened its 46th session. The new members were Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North and South Korea, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

1992 - Lawrence Walsh called a halt to his probe of the Iran-Contra scandal. The investigation had lasted 5 1/2 years.

1995 - Hong Kong held its last legislative election before being taken over by China in 1997.

1997 - Northern Ireland's main Protestant party joined in peace talks. It was the first time that all of the major players had come together.

1998 - The United States government offered a reward for the capture of Haroun Fazil for his role in the U.S. bombing in Kenya on August 7, 1998.

1998 - The U.S. announced a plan that would compensate victims in the Kenya and Tanzania U.S. Embassy bombings on August 7, 1998.

1998 - A United Nations convoy was ambushed in Angola. There were no serious injuries from the fire fight that occurred.

1961: UN Secretary General killed in air crash

The body of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold is identified among the wreckage of a plane which crashed last night outside the Northern Rhodesian town of Ndola.

Photo of Camp David 1978: Arab-Israeli breakthrough in US
The leaders of Israel and Egypt reach a settlement for the Middle East at Camp David in the US.

Jimi Hendrix 1970: Rock legend Hendrix dies after party
Rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix dies after collapsing at a party in London.

Refugees arrive at Stanstead 1972: Expelled Ugandans arrive in UK
The first Ugandan refugees fleeing the persecution of the country's military dictatorship arrive in Britain.

Eduard Shevardnadze and George Shultz 1987: Superpower treaty to scrap warheads
The United States and the USSR are to sign an agreement later this year to reduce the number of nuclear missiles.

2000: Crash survivors warn of more deaths
Survivors of the Southall and Ladbroke Grove rail crashes accuse Railtrack of putting costs before safety.

1709 - The creator of the first dictionary of the English language, Samuel Johnson, was born in England.

1759 - The French formally surrendered Quebec to the British.

1763 - It was reported, by the Boston Gazette, that the first piano had been built in the United States. The instrument was named the spinet and was made by John Harris.

1789 - Alexander Hamilton negotiated and secured the first loan for the United States. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was repaid on June 8, 1790 at the sum of $191,608.81.

1793 - U.S. President George Washington laid the actual cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

1810 - Chile declared its independence from Spain.

1830 - The "Tom Thumb", the first locomotive built in America, raced a horse on a nine-mile course. The horse won when the locomotive had some mechanical difficulties.

1850 - The Fugitive Slave Act was declared by the U.S. Congress. The act allowed slave owners to claim slaves that had escaped into other states.

1851 - The first issue of "The New York Times" was published.

1891 - Harriet Maxwell Converse became the first white woman to ever be named chief of an Indian tribe. The tribe was the Six Nations Tribe at Towanda Reservation in New York.

1895 - Daniel David Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment.

1927 - Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System made its debut with a network of 16 radio stations. The name was later changed to CBS.

1940 - "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe was published by Harper and Brothers.

1947 - The U.S. Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act.

1955 - The "Ed Sullivan Show" began on CBS-TV. The show had been "The Toast of the Town" since 1948.

1961 - United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in northern Rhodesia (now Zambia).

1963 - "The Patty Duke Show" premiered on ABC-TV.

1965 - The first episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" was shown on NBC-TV. The last show was televised on September 1, 1970.

1975 - The FBI captured newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst in San Francisco, CA. 19 months earlier she had been kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

1981 - A museum honoring former U.S. President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI.

1984 - The 39th session of the U.N. General Assembly was opened with an appeal to the U.S. and Soviet Union to resume arms negotiations.

1990 - Charles H. Keating was jailed in Los Angeles after being indicted on criminal fraud charges concerning saving-and-loans.

1991 - U.S. President Bush said that he would send warplanes to escort U.N. helicopters that were searching for hidden Iraqi weapons if it became necessary.

1994 - Haiti's military leaders agreed to depart on October 15th. This action averted a U.S.-led invasion to force them out of power.

1997 - Ted Turner, U.S. Media magnate, announced that over the next ten years he would give $1 billion to the United Nations.

1998 - 18 people, including adults and children, were massacred by gunmen in el Sauzal, Mexico. The victims were lined up in firing squad style after being dragged from their beds.

1998 - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to release to videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony from August 17.

1998 - The FDA approved a once-a-day easier-to-swallow medication for AIDS patients.

2003 - Robert Duvall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1997: Six dead in Southall train disaster

An Intercity 125 ploughs into a freight train in west London, killing six and injuring more than 150.

The damage the parcel bomb left 1972: Parcel bomb attack on Israeli embassy
A diplomat at the Israeli embassy in London is killed by a letter bomb.

Rescue workers at the crash scene 1986: Two dead in Midlands rail crash
Two passenger trains crash in Staffordshire, killing two people and injuring almost a hundred more.

Georgetown under water 2003: Washington DC swept by hurricane
Hurricane Isabel hits the east coast of the United States and sweeps through the capital.

Charlie Chaplin 1952: US Immigration slams door on Chaplin
The United States prevents film legend Charlie Chaplin from returning to Hollywood until he is investigated by the Immigration Services.

1777 - The Battle of Saratoga was won by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

1796 - U.S. President Washington's farewell address was published.

1819 - John Keats wrote "Ode to Autumn."

1876 - Melville R. Bissell patented the carpet sweeper.

1881 - James A. Garfield died of wounds from an assassin. The 20th U.S. president lived for 11 weeks after the wounds were inflicted.

1891 - "The Merchant of Venice" was performed for the first time at Manchester.

1893 - In New Zealand, the Electoral Act 1893 was consented to giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote.

1934 - Bruno Hauptman was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnapping and murder of the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh.

1945 - William Joyce, also known as "Lord Haw-Haw", was sentenced to death by a British court for his role as a Nazi propagandist.

1955 - Eva Marie Saint, Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman starred in the "Producer's Showcase" presentation of "Our Town" on NBC-TV.

1955 - Argentina President Juan Peron was ousted after a revolt by the army and navy.

1957 - The U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test. The test took place in the Nevada desert.

1959 - Nikita Khruschev was not allowed to visit Disneyland due to security reasons. Khrushchev reacted angrily.

1960 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in New York to visit the United Nations, checked out of the Shelburne Hotel angrily after a dispute with the management.

1970 - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" premiered on CBS-TV.

1982 - Scott Fahlman became the first person to use in an online message.

1983 - Lebanese army units defending Souk el-Gharb were supported in their effort by two U.S. Navy ships off Beirut.

1983 - The final episode of "M*A*S*H" was aired on CBS-TV.

1984 - China and Britain completed a draft agreement transferring Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule by 1997.

1985 - An earthquake registering 8.1 on the Richter Scale hit the Mexico City area. About 6,000 people were killed.

1986 - U.S. health officials announced that AZT, though an experimental drug, would be made available to AIDS patients.

1988 - Israel successfully launched the Horizon-I test satellite.

1989 - A DC-10 belonging to the French airliner UTA disappeared while carrying 171 people to Paris. The wreckage of the plane was found the next day in Niger. It was believed a bomb was responsible.

1990 - Iraq began confiscating foreign assets of countries that were imposing sanctions against the Iraqi government.

1992 - The U.N. Security Council recommended suspending Yugoslavia due to its role in the Bosnian civil war.

1994 - U.S. troops entered Haiti peacefully to enforce the return of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

1995 - The Unabomber's manifesto was published by The Washington Post and the New York Times.

1995 - The U.S. Senate passed a welfare overhaul bill.

1995 - The commander of American forces in Japan and the U.S. ambassador apologized for the rape of a schoolgirl committed by three U.S. servicemen.

1996 - The government of Guatemala and leftist rebels signed a peace treaty to end their long war.

2002 - In Ivory Coast, around 750 rebel soldiers attempted to overthrow the government. U.S. troops landed on September 25th to help move foreigners, including Americans, to safer areas.

2003 - It was reported that AOL Time Warner was going to drop "AOL" from its name and be known as Time Warner Inc. The company had announced its merger and name change on January 10, 2000.

1984: US embassy blast kills 20

A suicide bomber attacks the United States embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Yew Tree Farm, near Stourbridge, Staffordshire 1978: Police hunt Bridgewater killers
Police launch a massive manhunt for the killers of a young paperboy.

Australian peacekeeper 1999: UN force arrives in East Timor
A multinational peacekeeping force lands in East Timor in an attempt to restore law and order to the territory.

Queen Elizabeth 2 1967: Historic cruise liner takes to the waves
The Queen launches the new Cunard cruise liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2, at a ceremony on the Clydebank.

1519 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan left Spain to find a route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Magellan was killed during the trip, but one of his ships eventually made the journey.

1870 - The Papal States came under the control of Italian troops, leading to the unification of Italy.

1881 - Chester A. Arthur became the 21st president of the U.S. President James A. Garfield had died the day before.

1884 - The Equal Rights Party was formed in San Francisco, CA.

1921 - KDKA in Pittsburgh, PA, started a daily radio newscast. It was one of the first in the U.S.

1946 - The first Cannes Film Festival premiered. The original premier was delayed in 1939 due to World War II.

1946 - WNBT-TV in New York became the first station to promote a motion picture. Scenes from "The Jolson Story" were shown.

1953 - The TV show "Letter to Loretta" premiered. The name was changed to "The Loretta Young Show" on February 14, 1954.

1953 - Jimmy Stewart debuted on the radio western "The Six Shooter" on NBC.

1955 - "You'll Never Be Rich" premiered on CBS-TV. The name was changed less than two months later to "The Phil Silvers Show."

1958 - Martin Luther King Jr. was stabbed in the chest at a New York City department store by an apparently deranged black woman.

1962 - James Meredith, a black student, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Governor Ross R. Barnett. Meredith was later admitted.

1963 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy proposed a joint U.S.-Soviet expedition to the moon in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

1977 - The first of the "boat people" arrived in San Francisco from Southeast Asia under a new U.S. resettlement program.

1982 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced that the U.S., France, and Italy were going to send peacekeeping troops back to Beirut.

1984 - A Hizbulla suicide bomber destroyed the rebuilt U.S. Embassy in Beirut. 25 people were killed.

1984 - "The Cosby Show" premiered on NBC-TV.

1985 - A second major earthquake hit Mexico City.

1988 - The United Nations opened it 43rd General Assembly.

1989 - The wreckage of a DC-10 belonging to the French airliner UTA was found in Niger. The plane disappeared on September 19 with 171 passengers onboard. The Paris-bound plane was believed to have been brought down by a bomb.

1989 - F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as president of South Africa.

1991 - U.N. weapons inspectors left for Iraq in a renewed search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

1992 - French voters approved the Maastricht Treaty.

1995 - AT&T announced that it would be splitting into three companies. The three companies were AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and NCR Corp.

1995 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to drop the national speed limit. This allowed the states to decide their own speed limits.

1999 - Raisa Gorbachev, wife of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorvachev, died of leukemia.

1998: Clinton's Grand Jury testimony released

Bill Clinton's testimony about his relationship with a young female assistant is released to the United States public.

Harrier jump jet (PA) 1979: Harrier crash kills three
An RAF plane crashes onto houses in a Cambridgeshire town, killing two men and a young boy.

Arthur Scargill 1984: Maltby picket sparks violence
Police and miners clash at a pit in South Yorkshire in one of the biggest pickets since the strike began.

144 Piccadilly 1969: Police storm squat in Piccadilly
Police raid a 100-room mansion in Piccadilly and evict squatters who have occupied the building for the last six days.

1792 - The French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

1784 - "The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser" was published for the first time in Philadelphia. It was the first daily paper in America.

1893 - Frank Duryea took what is believed to be the first gasoline- powered automobile for a test drive. The "horseless carriage" was designed by Frank and Charles Duryea.

1897 - The New York Sun ran the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause" editorial. It was in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon.

1931 - Britain went off the gold standard.

1931 - Japanese forces began occupying China's northeast territory of Manchuria.

1937 - J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" was first published.

1938 - A hurricane struck parts of New York and New England killing more than 600 people.

1941 - "The Second Mrs. Burton" premiered to the entire CBS Radio Network.

1948 - Milton Berle debuted as the host of "The Texaco Star Theater" on NBC-TV. The show later became "The Milton Berle Show." Berle was the regular host until 1967.

1948 - "Life With Luigi" debuted on CBS Radio.

1949 - Communist leaders proclaimed The People's Republic of China.

1957 - "Perry Mason", the television series, made its debut on CBS-TV. The show was on for 9 years.

1961 - Antonio Abertondo swam the English Channel (in both directions) in 24 hours and 25 minutes.

1964 - Malta gained independence from Britain.

1966 - The Soviet probe Zond 5 returned to Earth. The spacecraft completed the first unmanned round-trip flight to the moon.

1970 - "NFL Monday Night Football" made its debut on ABC-TV. The game was between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns won 31-21.

1973 - Henry Kissinger was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become 56th Secretary of State. He was the first naturalized citizen to hold the office.

1976 - Orlando Letelier, former foreign minister for President Salvador Allende of Chili, was killed by a car bomb in Washington, DC.

1981 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

1982 - National Football League (NFL) players began a 57-day strike. It was their first regular-season walkout.

1982 - Amin Gemayel was elected president of Lebanon. He was the brother of Bashir Gemayel who was the president-elect when he was assassinated.

1984 - General Motors and the United Auto Workers union reached an agreement that would end the previous six days of spot strikes.

1985 - North and South Korea opened their borders for their family reunion program.

1989 - Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston, SC, causing $8 billion in damage.

1989 - 21 students were killed in Alton, TX, when their bus was in an accident with a truck causing the bus to careen into a water-filled pit.

1991 - Richard L. Worthington finally freed his nine hostages at the end of 18 hours in Sandy, UT. Worthington had killed a nurse before seizing control of a hospital maternity ward.

1993 - Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin announced that he was ousting the Communist-dominated Congress. The action was effectively seizing all state power.

1996 - The board of all-male Virginia Military Institute voted to admit women.

1996 - John F. Kennedy Jr. married Carolyn Bessette in a secret ceremony on Cumberland Island, GA.

1998 - The videotaped grand jury statement that U.S. President Bill Clinton made concerning the Monica Lewinsky case was made public.

Bomb damage at Deal Barracks 1989: Ten dead in Kent barracks bomb

A devastating explosion at an army barracks in Kent kills 11 people - 10 of them young soldiers.

Shoe amongst the bomb damage 1975: Bomb blasts rock Northern Ireland
A day of IRA bombings across Northern Ireland places the ceasefire it declared seven months ago in serious doubt.

KLA soldier ) 1998: Thousands flee fighting in Kosovo
Serbian forces renew their assault against rebel fighters in Kosovo leading thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Children watching TV 1955: New TV channel ends BBC monopoly
Britain's first independent television station is on air, bringing advertisements to the airwaves for the first time.

1656 - An all-female jury heard the case of a woman murdering her child. The jury in Patuxent, MD, voted for acquittal.

1776 - During the Revolutionary War, Nathan Hale was hanged as a British spy.

1789 - The U.S. Congress authorized the office of Postmaster General.

1792 - The French Republic was proclaimed.

1828 - Shaka, the African ruler and founder of the Zulu kingdom, was murdered by his half-brother Dingane. Shaka's mental illness had begun to compromise his leadership.

1862 - U.S. President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that all slaves held within rebel states would be free as of January 1, 1863.

1903 - Italo Marchiony was granted a patent for the ice cream cone.

1914 - Three British cruisers were sunk by one German submarine in the North Sea. 1,400 British sailors were killed. This event alerted the British to the effectiveness of the submarine.

1927 - In Chicago, IL, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight.

1949 - The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb successfully.

1955 - Commercial television began in Great Britain. The rules said that only six minutes of ads were allowed each hour and there was no Sunday morning TV permitted.

1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed a congressional act that established the Peace Corps.

1964 - "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." debuted on NBC-TV.

1966 - The U.S. lunar probe Surveyor 2 crashed into the moon.

1969 - Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run.

1975 - Sara Jane Moor attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford. 17 days earlier Lynnette "Squeaky" Fromme made an assassination attempt against Ford.

1980 - A border conflict between Iran and Iraq developed into a full-scale war.

1986 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan addressed the U.N. General Assembly and voiced a new hope for arms control. He also criticized the Soviet Union for arresting U.S. journalist Nicholas Daniloff.

1988 - Canada's government apologized for the internment of Japanese-Canadian's during World War II. They also promised compensation.

1990 - Saudi Arabia expelled most of the Yememin and Jordanian envoys in Riyadh. The Saudi accusations were unspecific.

1991 - An article in the London newspaper "The Mail" revealed that John Cairncross admitted to being the "fifth man" in the Soviet Union's British spy ring.

1992 - The U.N. General Assembly expelled Yugoslavia for its role in the war between Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1993 - 47 people were killed when an Amtrak passenger train derailed near Mobile, AL.

1994 - The U.S. upgraded its military control in Haiti.

1995 - AWACS plane crashed on takeoff at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, AK. All 24 of the U.S. and Canadian military personnel were killed.

1996 - Robert Dent, in Australia, became the first person to commit legally assisted suicide under a voluntary euthanasia law. Dent was suffering from terminal cancer.

1998 - The U.S. and Russia signed two agreements. One was to privatize Russia's nuclear program and the other was to stop plutonium stockpiles and nuclear scientists from leaving the country.

1998 - U.S. President Clinton, addressed the United Nations, and told world leaders to "end all nuclear tests for all time". He then sent the long-delayed global test-ban treaty to the U.S. Senate.

2000: Redgrave wins fifth Olympic gold

British rower Steve Redgrave makes Olympic history at the Sydney Games by winning his fifth consecutive gold medal.

Crowds waiting by palace railings 1951: King has lung operation
Crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace for news of King George VI following an operation to remove part of his lung.

HMS Glasgow 1976: British warship blaze kills eight
A fire on one of the Royal Navy's latest guided missile destroyers kills eight men.

Ken Maginnis appearing on BBC's Newsnight, August 1997 1997: Peace talks wobble after Unionist outburst
An MP in the Ulster Unionist Party launches a fierce attack on the British Government and Sinn Fein.

Charlie Chaplin 1952 1952: Charlie Chaplin comes home
The star of the silent movies, Charlie Chaplin, returns to his native England after 21 years in the US.

1987: Ban lifted on MI5 man's memoirs
An Australian court lifts the ban on the publication of Peter Wright's autobiography, Spycatcher.

2001: Swiss gunman kills 14 in shooting spree

A gunman runs amok in a central Switzerland government building, killing at least 14 people before turning the gun on himself.

Taleban fighter 1996: Afghan forces routed as Kabul falls
The capital of Afghanistan falls to opposition militia after three days of fierce fighting.

Ben Johnson winning the 100m gold 1988: Johnson stripped of Olympic gold
Sprinter Ben Johnson is sent home from the Seoul Olympic Games in disgrace.

Theatre front advertising Hair 1968: Musical Hair opens as censors withdraw
The American hippy musical "Hair" opens in London - one day after the abolition of theatre censorship.