1213 – Chinese general Chih-Chung assassinates Emperor Wei Shao Wang (former Prince of Wei) in Peking and proclaims himself Regent
1814 – Battle of Lake Champlain: The American navy defeats the Royal Navy at Plattsburgh, New York, ending the British invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812
1853 – First electric telegraph used between Merchant’s Exchange, San Francisco, and Point Lobos, California
1939 – Iraq and Saudi Arabia declare war on Nazi Germany
1951 – Florence Chadwick becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel from England to France, taking 16 hours and 19 minutes
1953 – KSBW TV channel 8 in Salinas-Monterey, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1995 – Eastern Tennessee begins using 423 as the new area code
2015 – Former Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, becomes the first candidate to drop out of the race for the Republican nomination