1666 – The Great Fire of London ends. Ten thousand buildings were destroyed, but only six people were known to have died.
1698 – Russia’s Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.
1774 – The First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia.
1793 – The Reign of Terror began during the French Revolution as the National Convention instituted harsh measures to repress counter-revolutionary activities.
1960 – Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) wins the gold medal in the light heavyweight boxing division at the Olympic Games in Rome.
1972 – A Palestinian terrorist group called “Black September” attacks and takes hostage 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. Two died in the attack and nine were murdered the following day.
1975 – Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, attempts to assassinate President Gerald Ford.
1977 – NASA launches the Voyager 1 spacecraft.
1978 – Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat begin peace discussions at Camp David.
