1917 – Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and the archetype of the seductive female spy, is executed for espionage by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside of Paris.
1989 – Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings breaks the NHL points record, going ahead of Gordi Howe’s record (1,850) in the final period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers.
1990 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work ending Cold War tensions.
1991 – After a bitter confirmation hearing, Clarence Thomas is confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court on a 52-48 Senate vote.
