- 1787 – Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution.
- 1941 – Attack on Pearl Harbor: The Japanese Navy carries out a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
- 1963 – Instant replay makes its debut during the Army-Navy football game.
- 1972 – Apollo 17, the final Apollo moon mission is launched.
- 1982 – In Texas, Charles Brooks, Jr., becomes the first person to be executed by lethal injection in the U.S.
- 1987 – Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet leader to officially visit the United States since 1973.
- 1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America sues file-sharing service Napster, alleging copyright infringement.
