- 1788 – Georgia becomes the fourth state to ratify the Constitution.
- 1811 – Timothy Pickering, a Federalist from Massachusetts, became the first U.S. senator to be censured after being accused of publicly revealing secret presidential documents.
- 1900 – American diplomat John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
- 1967 – Ronald Reagan is sworn in as Governor of California.
- 1974 – President Richard Nixon signs a bill lowering the maximum speed limit to 55 MPH in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
