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1998–Virgin Publishing releases the “1000 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Beatles albums take four out of the top five spots: Revolver tops the list, followed by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles (known as the White Album), with Abbey Road at #5. Only Nirvana’s, Nevermind, which nabs the fourth spot, breaks the Fab Four’s dominance.


617–At the Battle of Huoyi, Li Yuan defeats a Sui dynasty army, opening the path to his capture of the imperial capital Chang'an and the eventual establishment of the Tang dynasty.

685–Emperor Xuanzong of Tang is born Li Longji in Luoyang, China.

701–Pope Sergius I dies in Rome, Papal States, at age 51.

780–Byzantine Emperor, Leo IV the Khazar, dies of a fever brought on from the precious stones in a crown taken from the Hagia Sophia, at age 30. Some scholars have indicated that upon his accession to the throne Leo was already sick, while others believe Leo was murdered by persons unknown.

1100–The election of Antipope Theodoric takes place secretly at night in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy.

1157–Richard I of England is born at Beaumont Palace in Oxford, England. He was the third of five sons of King Henry II of England and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, and is known as Richard the Lionheart.

1209–Sancho II of Portugal is born in Coimbra, Kingdom of Portugal.

1253–Pope Innocent IV canonises Stanislaus of Szczepanów, who was killed by King Boleslaw II.

1264–The Statute of Kalisz, guaranteeing Jews safety, personal liberties, and giving “battei din” jurisdiction over Jewish matters, is promulgated by Boleslaw the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland.

1276–Pope John XXI is chosen. He was the 20th pope named John.

1331–Stefan Dusan declares himself King of Serbia.

1380–In the Battle of Kulikovo, Russian forces defeat a mixed army of Tatars and Mongols, stopping their advance.

1380–Bernardino of Siena, Italian-Spanish missionary and Saint, is born in Massa Marittima, Italy.

1504–Michelangelo’s sculpture, David, is unveiled in Florence, Italy.

1514–In one of the biggest battles of the century, Lithuanians and Poles defeat the Russian army.

1565–St. Augustine, Florida, is founded by Spanish admiral and Florida's first governor, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.

1612–São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, is founded.

1655–Warsaw, Poland, falls without resistance to a small force under the command of Charles X Gustav of Sweden during The Deluge, making it the first time the city is captured by a foreign army.

1664–An English force seizes the settlement of New Amsterdam from Dutch Governor, Peter Stuyvesant, without a shot being fired. It was later renamed New York after James, Duke of York, the future King James II.

1727–A barn fire during a puppet show in the village of Burwell in Cambridgeshire, England, kills 78 people, many of whom are children.

1761–King George III of the United Kingdom marries Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

1780–Byzantine Emperor, Leo IV the Khazar, dies of a fever brought on from the precious stones in a crown taken from the Hagia Sophia, at age 30.

1781–During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Eutaw Springs in South Carolina (the war's last significant battle in the Southern theater), ends in a narrow British tactical victory.

1784–Ann Lee dies in Watervliet, New York, at age 48. She was the leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, or The Shakers. The Shakers were founded in the 18th century in England, having branched off from a Quaker community.

1810–The Tonquin sets sail from New York Harbor with 33 employees of John Jacob Astor's newly created Pacific Fur Company on board. After a six-month journey around the tip of South America, the ship arrives at the mouth of the Columbia River and Astor's men establish the fur-trading town of Astoria, Oregon.

1814–Maria Carolina of Austria dies from a stroke at Hetzendorf Palace in Vienna, Austria, at age 62. She was Queen of Naples and Sicily as the wife of King Ferdinand IV & III.

1831–William IV and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen are crowned King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

1841–Composer, Antonin (Leopold) Dvorak, is born in Czechoslovakia. Dvorak’s ten operas all have librettos in Czech and were intended to convey Czech national spirit, as were some of his choral works. By far the most successful of the operas is Rusalka. Among his smaller works, the seventh Humoresque and the song Songs My Mother Taught Me are also widely performed and recorded. He has been described as "arguably the most versatile composer of his time." He composed his New World Symphony while staying in a Bohemian community in rural Iowa.

1852–Gojong of Korea is born I Myeong-bok at Unhyeon Palace, Hanseong, Joseon Dynasty.

1860–The steamship, PS Lady Elgin, sinks on Lake Michigan, killing 300 people.

1862–The Millennium of Russia monument is unveiled in Novgorod.

1863–During the American Civil War, on the Texas-Louisiana border at the mouth of the Sabine River, a small Confederate force thwarts a Union invasion of Texas.

1883–The Northern Pacific Railway (reporting mark NP) is completed in a ceremony at Gold Creek, Montana. Former president Ulysses S. Grant drives in the final "golden spike" in an event attended by rail and political luminaries.

1888–In Spain, the first voyage of Isaac Peral's submarine begins. It is the first practical submarine ever made.

1888–The body of Jack the Ripper's second murder victim, Annie Chapman, is found in London, England.

1892–”The Pledge of Allegiance” to the United States of America is written by a former Baptist preacher, Francis Bellamy. It only took Mr. Bellamy three hours to write the original 23 words in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America.

1892–Politician, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, is born in Midnapore, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day West Bengal, India). He was the fifth Prime Minister of Pakistan.

1897–Country singer, Jimmie Rodgers, is born James Charles Rodgers in Meridian, Mississippi. He is known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling. Among the first country music superstars and pioneers, Rodgers was also known as "The Singing Brakeman," "The Blue Yodeler," and "The Father of Country Music."

1900–A powerful hurricane hits Galveston, Texas, killing about 8,000 people.

1905–A 7.2 earthquake shakes Southern Italy, killing between 557 and 2,500 people.

1914–During World War I, Private Thomas Highgate becomes the first British soldier to be executed for desertion during the war.

1914–Patriarch Demetrios I of Constantinople is born Demetrios Papadopoulos in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (present-day Istanbul, Turkey).

1915–D.H. Lawrence watches the zeppelin raid on London, England.

1915–Character actor, Frank (Randolph) Cady, is born in Susanville, California. He is best known for the role of Sam Drucker on the sitcoms Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and The Beverly Hillbillies, becoming the only actor to play a recurring character on three shows simultaneously. He also was seen in 61 episodes The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He appeared in the films He Walked By Night, Flamingo Road, The Asphalt Jungle, D.O.A., The Great Rupert, When Worlds Collide, The Atomic City, Rear Window, Trial, The Bad Seed, Zandy’s Bride, and Hearts of the West.

1920–U.S. Air Mail service begins from New York City to San Francisco, California.

1921–Margaret Gorman, a 16-year-old, wins the Atlantic City Pageant's Golden Mermaid trophy. Pageant officials later dubbed her the first Miss America.

1923–Nine U.S. Navy destroyers run aground off the California coast. Seven are lost, and 23 sailors are killed.

1923–In the Honda Point disaster, nine U.S. Navy destroyers run aground off the California coast: seven are lost and 23 sailors are killed.

1923–Actor, Cliff Robertson, is born Clifford Parker Robertson III in La Jolla, California. He appeared in the films Picnic, Autumn Leaves, The Girl Most Likely, Gidget, All in a Night's Work, The Interns, My Six Loves, PT 109, Sunday in New York, The Best Man, Charly, J.W. Coop, Man on a Swing, Three Days of the Condor, Midway, Star 80, Class, and Brainstorm. He was married to actress, Dina Merrill.

1924–Actress, Jane Greer, is born Bettejane Greer in Washington, D.C. She appeared in the films They Won’t Believe Me, Out of the Past, The Steal, The Company She Keeps, The Prisoner of Zenda, Man of a Thousand Faces, Where Love Has Gone, Billie, The Outfit, The Shadow Riders, Against All Odds, Just Between Friends, and Immediate Family. She was married to singer-actor, Rudy Vallee.

1925–In the Rif War, Spanish forces, including troops from the Foreign Legion under Colonel Francisco Franco, land at Al Hoceima (Northern Morocco).

1925–Actor-comedian, Peter Sellers, is born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Portsmouth, England. He began his film career during the 1950s. Although the bulk of his work was comedic, often parodying characters of authority such as military officers or policemen, he also performed in other film genres and roles. He appeared in the films The Ladykillers, Up the Creek, Tom Thumb, The Mouse That Roared, The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film, I'm All Right Jack, Two Way Stretch, The Battle of the Sexes, Never Let Go, The Millionairess, Only Two Can Play, Waltz of the Toreadors, Lolita, Trial and Error, The Wrong Arm of the Law, Heavens Above!, The Pink Panther, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The World of Henry Orient, A Shot in the Dark, What’s New Pussycat, The Wrong Box, After the Fox, The Bobo, Casino Royale, Woman Times Seven, The Party, I Love You Alice B. Toklas!, The Magic Christian, Hoffman, There’s a Girl in My Soup, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Prisoner of Zenda, Being There, and The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu. He was married to actress, Britt Ekland.

1926–Germany is admitted to the League of Nations.

1930–Richard Drew creates “Scotch” transparent tape.

1932–Country singer, Patsy Cline, is born Virginia Petterson Hensley in Winchester, Virginia. Part of the late 1950s/early 1960s Nashville sound, Cline successfully "crossed over" to pop music and was one of the most influential, successful and acclaimed vocalists of the 20th century. Her hits include Walkin’ After Midnight, Three Cigarettes (In an Ashtray), I Fall to Pieces, Crazy, She’s Got You, and Sweet Dreams.

1933–Ghazi bin Faisal becomes King of Iraq.

1934–A fire aboard the passenger liner, SS Morro Castle, kills 135 people off the New Jersey coast.

1935–U.S. Senator Huey Long is fatally shot in the Louisiana State Capitol building.

1935–The Hoboken Four, featuring Frank Sinatra as lead singer, appears on Major Bowes Amateur Hour on WOR radio. The group wins the competition held at the Capitol Theatre in New York City.

1941–In World War II, German forces begin a siege against the Soviet Union's second-largest city, Leningrad.

1941–Actor, Christopher Connelly, is born Thomas Maume Connelly in Wichita, Kansas. He is best known for the role of Norman Harrington on the popular prime time TV soap opera Peyton Place. He appeared in the films They Only Kill Their Masters, Benji, The Norseman, Earthbound, and Liar’s Moon.

1942–Sal Valentino, lead singer of The Beau Brummels, is born Salvatore Willard Spampinato in San Francisco, California. The group’s biggest hits were Laugh Laugh and Just a Little. Valentino later fronted another band, Stoneground, which produced three albums in the early 1970s.

1943–In World War II, The O.B.S. (German General Headquarters for the Mediterranean zone) in Frascati, is bombed by USAAF.

1943–U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower publicly announces the Allied armistice with Italy.

1944–London, England, is hit by a V-2 rocket for the first time during World War II.

1945–United States troops arrive to partition the southern part of Korea, in response to Soviet troops occupying the northern part of the peninsula a month earlier.

1945–Latin guitarist, Jose Feliciano, is born in Puerto Rico. He had a big hit with his interpretation of The Doors' Light My Fire.

1945–Kelly Groucutt, of Electric Light Orchestra, is born Michael William Groucutt in Coseley, Staffordshire, England.

1945–Ron McKernan, of The Grateful Dead, is born in San Bruno, California. Deadheads know him better as “Pigpen,” the first of three ill-fated keyboardists for the band.

1946–A 95.6% vote in favor of abolishing the monarchy is made in Bulgaria.

1947–Benjamin Orr, bass player for The Cars, is born Benjamin Orzechowski in Lakewood, Ohio. He sang lead on several of their best known songs, including Just What I Needed, Bye Bye Love, Moving In Stereo, Let's Go, It's All I Can Do, and Drive.

1949–Composer and conductor, Richard Strauss, dies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, at age 85. During his lifetime, Strauss was considered the greatest composer of the first half of the 20th century. He is known for his operas, his lieder (especially his Four Last Songs), and his tone poems, including Don Juan, Death and Transfiguration, Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Don Quixote, Ein Heldenleben, Symphonia Domestica, and An Alpine Symphony.

1950–Will Lee, bassist and session-man extrordinare, is born William Franklin Lee IV in San Antonio, Texas. He is best known for his work on the Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra. He performs with his Beatles tribute band, The Fab Faux, which he co-founded in 1998.

1950–Cajun musician, singer-songwriter, and poet, Zachary Richard, is born in Scott, Louisiana. His innovative style combining Cajun, Zydeco, folk, and rock influences has been credited with the rebirth of Cajun Music. He plays accordion, guitar and piano, and writes his lyrics in both French and English. He has published three books of poetry in French and three children's books. His 2001 album, Cap Enragé, was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA in Canada.

1951–In San Francisco, California, 48 nations sign a peace treaty with Japan in formal recognition of the end of the Pacific War.

1951–Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea is published in Life magazine.

1952–The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation makes its first televised broadcast on the second escape of the Boyd Gang.

1954–The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is established.

1954–French painter, André Derain, dies after being struck by a moving vehicle in Garches, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, at age 74. His work spanned both the Fauvist and Traditionalist school.

1959–Chef, Charlie Trotter, is born in Wilmette, Illinois. His books on cooking include Charlie Trotter's Vegetables, Charlie Trotter's Seafood, Gourmet Cooking for Dummies, and Charlie Trotter's Desserts.

1960–President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicates the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

1961–Sonny Boy Williamson II records 9 Below Zero.

1962–Newly independent Algeria adopts a constitution by referendum.

1962–The last run of the Pines Express over the Somerset and Dorset Railway line takes place in England. The last steam locomotive built by British Railways, 9F locomotive 92220 Evening Star, is used.

1964–The Beatles, on a tour of America (with a few stops in Canada), perform two shows at The Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Total attendance is 21,000.

1965–The Pakistan Navy raids Indian coasts with no resistance in Operation Dwarka.

1965–Businessman, Joshua Lionel Cowen, dies in Palm Beach, Florida, at age 88. He co-founded the Lionel Corporation, a manufacturer of model railroads and toy trains.

1966–The science fiction TV series, Star Trek, premieres with its first-aired episode, "The Man Trap."

1966–That Girl!, starring Marlo Thomas, debuts on ABC-TV.

1966–A chart topper: Sunshine Superman by Donovan.

1969–Ringo Starr is admitted to Middlesex Hospital for treatment of intestinal difficulties. He will be released on September 11th.

1971–The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is inaugurated in Washington, D.C., with the opening feature being the premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass.

1971–John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear on The Dick Cavett Show, which is taped at the ABC studios in New York.

1974–President Gerald Ford pardons former President Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.

1974–A chart topper: (You’re) Having My Baby by Paul Anka.

1975–U.S. Air Force Tech Sergeant, Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, appears in his Air Force uniform on the cover of Time magazine with the headline, "I Am a Homosexual." He is given a general discharge, which was later upgraded to honorable.

1978–In what became known as Black Friday, a massacre by soldiers against protesters in Tehran, killing 700 to 3,000 people, marks the beginning of the end of the monarchy in Iran.

1978–Movie studio head, Jack L. Warner, dies of a heart inflammation in Hollywood, California, at age 86. He co-founded Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. His career spanned 45 years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the Hollywood studio moguls. Warner remained a force in the motion picture industry until his retirement in the early 1970s.

1979–Singer, Pink, is born Alecia Beth Moore in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She rose as an artist with her debut solo album Can't Take Me Home in 2000.

1981–Child actor, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, is born Jonathan Taylor Weiss in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is best known for the role of Randy Taylor on the TV sitcom Home Improvement.

1988–Yellowstone National Park is closed for the first time in U.S. history due to ongoing fires.

1988–John Lennon: My Brother by Julia Baird is published. Her co-writer on the book is Geoffrey Guiliano.

1988–Elton John sells some of his costumes and concert memorabilia at an auction in London, England, for $6.2 million.

1989–Partnair Flight 394 crashes into the North Sea, killing 55 people. The later investigation showed that the tail of the plane vibrated loose in flight due to sub-standard connecting bolts that had been fraudulently sold as aircraft-grade.

1991–The Republic of Macedonia becomes independent.

1991–Actor, Brad Davis, dies from assisted suicide by a drug overdose in Los Angeles, California, at age 41. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1985, and he did develop AIDS. He was cast in two major TV productions: Sybil and Roots. He appeared in the films Midnight Express, A Small Circle of Friends, Chariots of Fire, Terror in the Aisles, Blood Ties, and Rosalie Goes Shopping.

1994–The MTV Awards features newlyweds Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley.

1994–USAir Flight 427, on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, suddenly crashes in clear weather killing all 132 aboard.

1997–Journalist and writer, Derek Taylor, dies of cancer in Sudbury, Suffolk, England, at age 65. He was first a publicist for The Beatles, and then John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

1998–Virgin Publishing releases the “1000 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Beatles albums take four out of the top five spots: Revolver tops the list, followed by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Beatles (known as the White Album), with Abbey Road at #5. Only Nirvana’s, Nevermind, which nabs the fourth spot, breaks the Fab Four’s dominance.

1999–Singer-songwriter, Moondog, dies in Münster, Germany, at age 83. He was widely recognized as "the Viking of 6th Avenue" by thousands of passersby and residents of New York City, who weren't aware of his musical career. His single works include Snaketime Rhythms, Moondog’s Symphony, Organ Rounds, Oboe Rounds, and Surf Session.

2004–NASA's unmanned spacecraft, Genesis, crash-lands when its parachute fails to open.

2005–Two EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft land at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas. It is the first time Russia flew such a mission to North America.

2012–Former President Jimmy Carter surpasses Herbert Hoover for longest retirement after leaving office. Hoover was retired for 11,553 days, and had held the record for over 54 years.

2013–Car dealer, Cal Worthington, dies in Orland, California, at age 92. He was best known for his unique radio and television advertisements for the Worthington Dealership Group primarily on the West Coast in America during the 1970s.

2014–A fire on the recently closed Colossus ride at Southern California's Six Flags Magic Mountain collapsed part of the famous wooden roller coaster. Workers were disassembling the ride at the time of the fire, but no one was injured. Colossus was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster when it opened in 1978. It closed on August 17, 2014, but it will be turned into a longer looping wood and steel coaster called Twisted Colossus.

2014–Restaurateur and businessman, S. Truett Cathy, dies of natural causes in Clayton County, Georgia, at age 93. He was the founder of Chick-fil-A.

2016–German scientists confirm that the cause of England’s Great Plague of London from 1665-1666 was Yersinia pestis. Yersinia pestis was discovered in 1894, by Alexandre Yersin, a Swiss-French physician and bacteriologist from the Pasteur Institute, during an epidemic of the plague in Hong Kong.

2016–Uzbekistan’s parliament appoints Shavkat Mirziyoyev as interim president after the death of President Islam Karimov.

2016–The Police Department of Everett, Washington, identifies and returns the American flag from the September 11 attacks to Ground Zero, the World Trade Center site in New York City.

2016–The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launches its meteorological satellite, INSAT-3DR, into a geostationary transfer orbit atop its GSLV Mk II launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

2016–A court in Mumbai, India, convicts and sentences Ankur Panwar to the death penalty for a fatal acid-throwing attack.

2016–A 14-year-old female student at Alpine High School in Alpine, Texas, fatally shoots herself after shooting another female student, in what appears to be a "active shooter" event. A responding policer officer is also wounded.

2016–Singer-songwriter, Prince Buster, dies of heart disease in Miami, Florida, at age 78. The records he released in the 1960s, influenced and shaped the course of Jamaican contemporary music and created a legacy of work that would be drawn upon later by reggae and ska artists.

2017–President Donald Trump's seaside resort, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, and the surrounding barrier islands have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma approaches Florida.

2017–A Duke University medical helicopter crashes near Belvidere, North Carolina, killing four people.

2017–A helicopter crashes in Medford, New Jersey, killing two people, including singer Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry.

2017–Country singer, Don Williams, dies after a short illness at age 78. He began his solo career in 1971, singing popular ballads and amassing 17 #1 country hits, which include I'm Just a Country Boy, Good Ole Boys Like Me, and Listen to the Radio.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Michelangelo’s sculpture, David; Ann Lee; The Pledge of Allegiance; Frank Cady; Peter Sellers; Sal Valentino; Benjamin Orr; The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway; Marlo Thomas in a scene from the TV series That Girl!; a collection of Elton John's costumes that were put up for auction; Derek Taylor; Cal Worthington with his "dog Spot"; and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
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