Cecil John Rhodes 1853 - British business man, politician in South Africa
- 1811 - Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
- 1814 - U.S. troops under Jacob Brown defeated a superior British force at Chippewa, Canada.
- 1865 - William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.
- 1865 - The U.S. Secret Service Division was created to combat currency counterfeiting, forging and the altering of currency and securities..
- 1946 - The bikini bathing suit, created by Louis Reard, made its debut during a fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris. Micheline Bernardini wore the two-piece outfit.
- 1951 - Dr. William Shockley announced that he had invented the junction transistor.
