- **1916** – British and French forces launched the Somme Offensive during World War I.
- **1917** – The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Confederation of Canada.
- **1942** – Sevastopol in the Crimea fell into the hands of German forces after an eight-month siege.
- **1946** – The United States tested an atomic bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
- **1974** – Juan Perón, the President of Argentina and founder of the Peronist movement, passed away.
- **1997** – American cinema star Robert Mitchum died at the age of 79; he appeared in several films, including "Cape Fear," "Ryan's Daughter," and "The Night of the Hunter."
- **1999** – The German parliament held its final session in Bonn before moving to Berlin.
- **1999** – Scotland opened its first parliament.
- **1999** – Joshua Nkomo, a veteran Vice President of Zimbabwe and one of the strongest fighters for liberation, passed away at the age of 83.
- **2000** – The longest suspension bridge in the world, the Oresund Bridge, was opened, connecting Sweden and Denmark.
- **2004** – An Iraqi court charged Saddam Hussein and 11 of his senior aides with crimes against humanity.
