- 1609 – Navigator Henry Hudson discovered the island of Manhattan.
- 1781 – Los Angeles is founded as El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de los Angeles (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels) by 44 Spanish settlers.
- 1886 – After almost 30 years of fighting, Apache leader Geronimo surrenders to General Nelson Miles in Arizona.
- 1888 – George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak and receives a patent for his camera that uses roll film.
- 1957 – Arkansas Governor Orval Fabus calls out the National Guard to prevent African American students from enrolling in Central High School in Little Rock.
- 1957 – The Ford Motor Company introduces the Edsel.
- 1972 – Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games.
- 1972 – The Price is Right premiers on CBS.
- 1998 – Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University.
- 2006 – Steve Irwin, Australia’s internationally renowned “Crocodile Hunter” TV star, was killed by a stingray barb to the heart while filming underwater.
