1659 – General Monck demands free parliamentary election in Scotland
1811 – Earthquake hits New Madrid, Missouri, causing widespread damage
1909 – A conservative revolution and US pressure forces Nicaraguan President Jose Santos from office
1913 – Charlie Chaplin begins his film career at Keystone for $150 a week
1920 – 8.5 earthquake rocks the Gansu province in China, killing an estimated 200,000
1965 – Taufa’ahau Tupou IV becomes King of Tonga
1971 – Don McLean’s 8+ minute version of “American Pie” released
1985 – John Gotti assumes leadership of New York’s Gambino crime family after ordering the executions of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti
1989 – Commencement of 1st Test Cricket play at Bellerive Oval, Hobart (v SL)
1997 – US President Bill Clinton names his Labrador retriever “Buddy”