1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was officially established by an act of Congress.
1804, Aaron Burr, former vice-president of the United States, mortally wounded former Treasury SecretaryAlexander Hamilton in a duel over political rivalry and accusations. Hamilton died the next day.
1859 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is published.
1899, Author E.B. White (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little) is born. He dies in 1985.
1914, in his major league debut, Boston Red Sox pitcher Babe Ruth beat the Indians by the score of 4-3.
1920, Actor Yul Brynner (The Ten Commandments, The King and I, The Magnificent Seven, Westworld) is born. He dies in 1985.
1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy was dedicated in Colorado Springs.
1964, the first 7-11 convenience store opened. The store got its name from its extended hours, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
1964, “No Particular Place To Go” by Chuck Berry peaks at Number 10 on the pop chart.
1964, “House Of The Rising Sun” by the Animals hits Number One on the U.K. pop chart.
1966, The TV series The Newlywed Game debuts.
1969, “Honky Tonk Women” by the Rolling Stones is released.
1970, “Mama Told Me (Not To Come)” by Three Dog Night hits Number One on the pop chart, where it stays for two weeks.
1970, “Ride Captain Ride” by Blues Image peaks at Number Four on the pop chart.
1970, The soundtrack to the movie Woodstock hits Number One on the album chart, where it stays for four weeks.
1975, Fleetwood Mac by Fleetwood Mac is released.
1977, the Medal Of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a White House ceremony.
1979, The Skylab space station re-enters Earth’s atmosphere from its orbit. Much of the vessel burns up during re-entry, with the remaining debris scattered across Australia and the Indian Ocean.
1979, Neil Young‘s Rust Never Sleeps album is released, the same day that the Rust Never Sleeps film premieres.
1987, “Alone” by Heart hits Number One on the pop chart, where it will stay for three weeks.
1989, Actor Laurence Olivier (Spartacus, Marathon Man, The Boys From Brazil) dies at age 82.
1995, Twenty years after the fall of Saigon, President Bill Clinton established full diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
1995, R.E.M. singer-bassist Mike Mills has abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal tumor.