Today:
1572: The Sea Beggars, a group of Dutch rebels, captured the city of Brielle from Spanish forces, marking a turning point in the Dutch Revolt.
1789: The United States House of Representatives held its first quorum and elected Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.
1867: Singapore and the rest of the Straits Settlements, formerly ruled by the British East India Company, became a British crown colony.
1924: Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch, though he served only nine months.
1945: United States troops landed on the island of Okinawa during World War II, beginning one of the largest and costliest battles in the Pacific.
1946: A massive tsunami caused by an earthquake near the Aleutian Islands struck the Hawaiian Islands, leading to the creation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
1970: President Richard Nixon signed legislation officially banning cigarette advertisements on television and radio in the United States.
1976: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne formed Apple Computer in Cupertino, California.
2001: The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legally recognize same-sex marriage.
2004: Google launched its web-based email service, Gmail, to the public, initially as an invitation-only beta version.