Today in History

1520		The Spanish explorer Cortes is driven from Tenochtitlan and retreats to Tlaxcala.
1609		The Catholic states in Germany set up a league under the leadership of Maximillian of Bavaria.
1679		The British crown claims New Hampshire as a royal colony.
1747		Persian ruler Nadir Shah is assassinated at Fathabad.
1776		The statue of King George III is pulled down in New York City.
1778		In support of the American Revolution, Louis XVI declares war on England.
1850		Millard Fillmore is sworn in as the 13th president of the United States following the death of Zachary Taylor.
1890		Wyoming becomes the 44th state.
1893		Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs the first successful open-heart surgery, without anesthesia.
1925		The trial of Tennessee teacher John T. Scopes opens, with Clarence Darrow appearing for the defense and William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution.
1940		Germany begins the bombing of England.
1942		General Carl Spaatz becomes the head of the U.S. Air Force in Europe.
1943		American and British forces complete their amphibious landing of Sicily.
1945		U.S. carrier-based aircraft begin airstrikes against Japan in preparation for invasion.
1951		Armistice talks between the United Nations and North Korea begin at Kaesong.
1962		The satellite Telstar is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, beaming live television from Europe to the United States.
1993		Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki becomes the first man to run 10,000 meters in less than 27 minutes.