Today:
626 – The Siege of Constantinople (626) ended with a decisive Byzantine victory over the Avars and Persians, preserving the Byzantine capital.
1782 – George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, the predecessor of today’s Purple Heart, to recognize soldiers for exceptional service and bravery.
1789 – The United States Department of War (later renamed the Department of the Army) was established by the U.S. Congress.
1942 – U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal, beginning the Guadalcanal Campaign, the first major Allied offensive against Japan in the Pacific during World War II.
1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and his crew completed the 4,300-mile voyage of the balsa-wood raft Kon-Tiki, demonstrating that such a journey across the Pacific was possible.
1959 – The Explorer 6 satellite was launched by the United States and later transmitted one of the first photographs of Earth from orbit.
1964 – The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was approved by the U.S. Congress, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad authority to expand U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.
1974 – French high-wire artist Philippe Petit performed his famous unauthorized tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center (1973–2001) in New York City.
1998 – The United States embassy bombings occurred in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands.
2007 – Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run, surpassing Hank Aaron to become Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader at the time.