Today:
1307 – French King Philip IV orders the arrest of the Knights Templar, beginning the persecution of the order.
1775 – The Continental Congress authorizes the establishment of the Continental Navy, later to become the United States Navy.
1792 – The cornerstone of the White House is laid in Washington, D.C.
1843 – Henry Jones and 11 others found B’nai B’rith, the oldest Jewish service organization in the world.
1884 – Greenwich is established as the universal time meridian of longitude.
1903 – The Boston Red Sox win the first modern World Series, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1923 – Ankara becomes the capital of Turkey, replacing Istanbul.
1943 – Italy declares war on Nazi Germany, switching allegiance during World War II.
1976 – The first electron micrograph of an Ebola virus is taken.
2010 – The 33 trapped Chilean miners are rescued after 69 days underground.