Today:
1220 – Eric XI of Sweden was crowned King of Sweden, beginning a reign marked by struggles between rival noble factions.
1588 – The Spanish Armada was decisively defeated after storms and attacks by the English fleet forced the surviving Spanish ships to retreat around Scotland and Ireland.
1786 – Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard became the first known climbers to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps.
1876 – Thomas Edison received a patent for his mimeograph, an early document-copying device that became widely used in schools and offices.
1908 – Wilbur Wright made his first public flight in France, astonishing European audiences with the capabilities of powered flight.
1942 – Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi, calling for an end to British rule in India.
1945 – The Soviet Invasion of Manchuria began as the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, accelerating the end of World War II.
1963 – The Great Train Robbery took place in England when a gang stole £2.6 million from a Royal Mail train, one of the most famous robberies in British history.
1974 – Richard Nixon announced his resignation as President of the United States following the Watergate scandal. He became the first U.S. president to resign from office.
2008 – The 2008 Summer Olympics officially opened in Beijing, China, with a spectacular opening ceremony watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.