Today:
1685 – King Charles II of England, Scotland, and Ireland dies, and his brother James II becomes king.
1778 – France recognizes the United States and signs the Treaty of Alliance and Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the American revolutionaries.
1788 – Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1815 – The British Parliament grants an official pardon to soldiers who deserted during the Napoleonic Wars.
1840 – The Treaty of Waitangi is signed in New Zealand between the British Crown and Māori chiefs, establishing British sovereignty.
1918 – British women over the age of 30 are granted the right to vote with the passage of the Representation of the People Act.
1933 – The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, changing the dates of congressional and presidential terms, takes effect.
1952 – King George VI of the United Kingdom dies, and his daughter Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth II.
1971 – The first electronic stock market, NASDAQ, begins trading in the United States.
2018 – SpaceX successfully launches the Falcon Heavy rocket, carrying Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster into space.