Today:
378 – The Battle of Adrianople took place, with the Goths defeating the Eastern Roman army and killing Emperor Valens. The battle is widely regarded as a turning point in the decline of the Roman Empire.
1173 – Construction began on the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The tower soon began to lean because of unstable ground beneath its foundation.
1483 – The Sistine Chapel was consecrated in Vatican City by Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it is named.
1854 – Henry David Thoreau published Walden, his classic work on simple living, self-reliance, and nature.
1942 – Mahatma Gandhi was arrested by British authorities one day after launching the Quit India Movement, leading to widespread protests across India.
1945 – The United States dropped the atomic bomb known as Fat Man on Nagasaki, Japan, the second and last use of a nuclear weapon in warfare.
1965 – Singapore separated from Malaysia and became an independent republic under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew.
1974 – Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon.
1995 – Operation Storm concluded with Croatian forces recapturing most of the territory previously held by rebel Serbs during the Croatian War of Independence.
2020 – 2020 Belarusian presidential election was held, triggering months of mass protests and international controversy over allegations of electoral fraud.