Today:
394: The Battle of the Frigidus concluded with Roman Emperor Theodosius I defeating the pagan usurper Eugenius, leading to the temporary restoration of the Roman Empire and a decisive victory for Christianity.
1522: The Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, returned to Spain, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe.
1620: The Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, carrying the Pilgrims to North America.
1870: In Laramie, Wyoming, Louisa Ann Swain became the first woman in the United States to cast a vote in a general election.
1901: United States President William McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley died from his wounds eight days later.
1915: The first prototype of a military tank, developed by the British, was tested for the first time.
1968: Swaziland, now known as Eswatini, gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
1972: The Munich massacre at the Summer Olympics concluded with the deaths of 11 Israeli Olympic team members.
1991: The Soviet Union recognized the independence of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. On the same day, the city of Leningrad was renamed Saint Petersburg.
1995: Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles played in his 2,131st consecutive Major League Baseball game, breaking the long-standing record held by Lou Gehrig.