Today:
1314 – The Battle of Bannockburn took place, where the Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce defeated the English army under King Edward II, leading to Scotland’s independence.
1509 – Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were crowned King and Queen of England.
1812 – Napoleon’s Grande Armée crossed the Neman River, marking the start of the invasion of Russia.
1916 – Mary Pickford became the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.
1947 – Kenneth Arnold made the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington.
1948 – The Berlin Blockade began as the Soviet Union blocked all ground routes into West Berlin.
1950 – The first successful kidney transplant was performed in Chicago.
1983 – The space shuttle Challenger landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base after its second mission.
1995 – South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, defeating New Zealand 15-12 in the final.
2010 – Julia Gillard became the first female Prime Minister of Australia.