1189 – Gerard de Ridefort, grandmaster of the Knights Templar since 1184, is killed in the Siege of Acre
1890 – Germany’s anti-socialist laws lapse
1898 – Dutch railway Alkmaar-Receiver opens
1936 – Generalissimo Francisco Franco establishes state of Spain
1960 – Nigeria gains independence from Great Britain (National Day)
1964 – WTSJ TV channel 18 in San Juan, PR (NBC) begins broadcasting
1975 – “The Thrilla in Manila”; Muhammad Ali stops Joe Frazier in 14 rounds in Quezon City, the Philippines to retain his WBC/WBA heavyweight title
1981 – USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya
2011 – Martin Dempsey is appointed US Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Obama
2019 – Indian government bans the export of onions, an important food staple to control prices, causing shortages in Bangladesh and Nepal