- 1871 – A massive Chicago fire destroyed more than 17,000 buildings, killed more than 300 people and left 100,000 homeless.
- 1918 – Sgt. Alvin York of Tennessee became a World War I hero by single-handedly capturing a hill during an offensive in France, killing 20 enemy soldiers and capturing 132 others.
- 1956 – New York Yankees’ Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history.
- 1969 – The Days of Rage demonstrations, organized by the Weather Underground, kick off in Chicago.
- 1982 – Cats opens on Broadway and runs for nearly 18 years before closing on September 10, 2000.
- 1991 – A federal judge in Anchorage approved a $1 billion settlement against Exxon for the Valdez oil spill.
- 2001 – President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.
