Alan Shepard, Jr. 1923
- 1846 - A patent for an artificial leg was granted to Benjamin Palmer.
- 1847 - Scottish obstetrician James Young Simpson discovered the anesthetic qualities of chloroform.
- 1939 - During World War II, the U.S. modified its neutrality stance with the Neutrality Act of 1939.
- 1956 - Soviet forces enter Hungary in order to suppress the uprising that had begun on October 23, 1956.
- 1979 - Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 63 Americans hostage (90 total hostages). The militants, mostly students, demanded that the U.S. send the former shah back to Iran to stand trial. Many hostages were later released, but 52 were held for the next 14 months.
- 1989 - About a million East Germans filled the streets of East Berlin in a pro-democracy rally.


Denmark, 1992: voters rejected the pro-EU Maastricht treaty. Vote is overturned.
Ireland, 2001: Reject the Nice treaty. Vote overturned. 2008: Reject the Lisbon treaty. Vote overturned.
France and the Netherlands, 2005: Reject the EU Constitution. Lisbon treaty ratified without another vote.
Greece, 2015: 61% of people reject bailout terms. Tough. 









