Today:
1184 BC – According to the traditional dating by Eratosthenes, Troy fell to the Greeks after the Trojan Horse deception.
631 – Emperor Taizong of Tang sent envoys to the Xueyantuo, helping reshape alliances on China’s northern frontier.
1509 – Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, shortly before his coronation as king of England.
1776 – The Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five to draft what became the Declaration of Independence.
1776 – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman were chosen for that drafting committee.
1898 – U.S. Marines landed at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War.
1919 – Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse later recognized as a Triple Crown winner.
1940 – Italy bombed Malta for the first time during World War II.
1963 – President John F. Kennedy delivered his civil rights address, calling for legislation to end segregation and racial discrimination.
1982 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was released in U.S. theaters and became one of the most successful films of all time.