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Major Events
- 1054 – Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invaded Scotland and defeated Macbeth, King of Scotland.
- 1694 – The Bank of England was established by Royal Charter to act as the English government’s banker.
- 1789 – The U.S. Department of State was established as the first federal agency.
- 1940 – Bugs Bunny made his official debut in the Warner Bros. cartoon A Wild Hare.
- 1953 – The Korean War armistice was signed, bringing the three-year conflict to an official end.
- 1974 – The House Judiciary Committee voted to recommend the first article of impeachment against President Richard Nixon.
- 1990 – Belarus declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Famous Birthdays
- Samuel Smith (1752–1839), American politician and general during the War of 1812
- Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953), French-English writer and historian
- Norman Lear (born 1922), American television writer and producer known for All in the Family
- Peggy Fleming (born 1948), American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist
- Maya Rudolph (born 1972), American actress and comedian
- Alex Rodriguez (born 1975), American former professional baseball player
Notable Deaths
- John Dalton (d. 1844), English chemist, physicist, and pioneer in atomic theory (b. 1766)
- Mohammed Zahir Shah (d. 2007), Last King of Afghanistan (b. 1914)
- Bob Hope (d. 2003), British-American entertainer and comedian (b. 1903)
- Reggie Lewis (d. 1993), American professional basketball player (b. 1965)
Holidays
- National Sleepy Head Day (Finland) – The last person in the household to wake up may get thrown into a lake or sprayed with water
- Victory Day (North Korea) – Celebrates the signing of the Korean War armistice
- Jose Celso Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico) – Honors the life of the first Puerto Rican to earn a medical degree in the U.S.
Fun Facts
- Bugs Bunny’s catchphrase “What’s up, Doc?” was first delivered on this day in 1940.
- The Korean War technically never officially ended—only a ceasefire was agreed upon.
- Bob Hope lived to be 100 years old, with a career that spanned over 70 years.
- The Bank of England is one of the oldest central banks in the world.
- Maya Rudolph is the daughter of famed singer Minnie Riperton and has a background in music as well as comedy.