Today:
1190 – Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowned while crossing the Saleph River during the Third Crusade.
1692 – Bridget Bishop became the first person executed during the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.
1752 – Benjamin Franklin reportedly conducted his famous kite experiment related to lightning and electricity.
1793 – The Jardin des Plantes and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle were formally established in Paris during the French Revolution.
1805 – The First Barbary War ended with a treaty between the United States and Tripoli.
1861 – The Battle of Big Bethel was fought in Virginia, one of the first land battles of the American Civil War.
1907 – The Lumière brothers introduced early color photography plates called Autochrome Lumière to the public in Paris.
1935 – Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio, by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith.
1940 – Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom during World War II.
1967 – The Six-Day War ended with a ceasefire between Israel and its neighboring Arab states.