- 1898 - The United States annexes Hawaii.
- 1930 - Author and creator of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, passes away.
- 1981 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court, making her the first woman to serve on it.
- 1994 - Northern Yemeni forces completely capture the last stronghold of their southern opponents in Aden.
- 1998 - The most famous political prisoner in Nigeria and the presumed winner of the 1993 elections, Moshood Abiola, dies suddenly.
- 1999 - In a major defeat for the tobacco industry in the United States, a jury in Florida finds that smoking causes several diseases and that the industry concealed the risks from the public.
- 2004 - Swimmer Michael Phelps breaks his own world record in the 400-meter individual medley.
- 2005 - Four suicide bombers kill 52 people in London's public transport during the morning rush hour.
- 2007 - "Live Earth" concerts are held on seven continents simultaneously to raise environmental awareness.
- 2012 - Dozens are killed in floods in southern Russia.
- 2015 - Sakari Momoi, the world's oldest man, aged 111, passes away.
