English cricketer
Russian goldsmith, jeweler
English footballer
Russian philosopher, theorist
American singer-songwriter, actress
Flemish painter
American pianist, composer, bandleader, poet
Defender of the French nation
Russian author, poet, Nobel Prize laureate
French philosopher
Joan of Arc, a French heroine and military leader during the Hundred Years' War, was executed by burning at the stake by an English-dominated tribunal in Rouen, France. She was only 19 years old.
Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, led an expedition of 10 ships and 700 men that landed in Florida. He was the first European to explore the southeastern region of the present-day United States.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed between the United States and Mexico, ending the Mexican-American War. The treaty gave the US control of New Mexico, California, and parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado in exchange for $15 million.
The first Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was observed in Northern US states to honor those who died in the Civil War.
A stampeding crowd on Khodynka Field in Moscow during the festivities for the coronation of Russian Tsar Nicholas II resulted in the deaths of about 1,300 people. The tragedy was caused by poor planning and mismanagement of the event.
The first Indianapolis 500, a 500-mile automobile race, was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. It has since become one of the world's most prestigious sporting events.
The Treaty of London was signed by the Great Powers, the Ottoman Empire, and the victorious Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Kingdom of Bulgaria, and Montenegro), ending the First Balkan War.
Rafael Trujillo, the long-time dictator of the Dominican Republic, was assassinated. Although the assassination was intended to remove the dictatorship, Trujillo's son soon stepped into his father's shoes.
Benjamin Britten's War Requiem was premiered for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, which had been destroyed in World War II. The work juxtaposes the traditional Latin Mass for the Dead with war poems by Wilfred Owen.
The Republic of Biafra was proclaimed, consisting of Nigeria's Eastern Region. Its secession sparked the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted until 1970 and resulted in the region's re-integration into Nigeria.
The German government announced its decision to abandon nuclear energy following the nuclear meltdown at Japan's Fukushima power plant and years of protests by Germany's powerful anti-nuclear movement.