Today:
1520 – Charles V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo X.
1774 – The First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1825 – The Erie Canal, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River, opens, revolutionizing transportation and commerce in the U.S.
1863 – The Football Association is formed in England, standardizing the rules for association football (soccer).
1881 – The infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, involving Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
1905 – Norway gains independence from Sweden after a referendum favoring dissolution of the union.
1944 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, ends with an Allied victory over Japan.
1951 – Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister for a second term at the age of 76.
1979 – South Korean President Park Chung-hee is assassinated by his intelligence chief, Kim Jae-gyu.
1984 – “The Terminator,” directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, premieres in the United States.