1871 – A massive Chicago fire destroyed more than 17,000 buildings, killed more than 300 people and left 100,000 homeless.
1918 – American Army Sgt. Alvin York almost single-handedly killed 25 German soldiers and captured 132 in the Argonne Forest in France.
1959 – Margaret Thatcher was first elected to the British Parliament as a Conservative representing the North London suburb of Finchley.
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, Alaska approved a $1 billion settlement against Exxon for the Valdez oil spill.
