1831 – Jan van Speijk blows up his gunboat in Antwerp, killing about 30
1864 – Danish army begins its withdrawal from Danevirke to Dybbøl through driven snow, last time the Danes would occupy Danevirke, symbol of Danish identity
1900 – British troops under Gen Buller occupy Vaal Krantz, Natal
1936 – “Modern Times”, silent film directed by, written by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released
1938 – Hans Engnestangen skates world record 500m (41.8 sec)
1943 – Jake LaMotta defeats future multi-weight world boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson by unanimous points decision in Detroit in the 2nd of their 6 meetings; his only win of their rivalry; Robinson’s first loss in his first 40 pro bouts
1970 – 1st Test Cricket ton of Barry Richards, 126, 164 balls, 20 fours 1 six
1978 – 28th NBA All-Star Game, Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Ga: East beats West, 133-125; MVP: Randy Smith, SD Clippers, G
1994 – 68 killed and 200 wounded after a mortar bomb is set off in Sarajevo
2008 – A major tornado outbreak across the Southern United States leaves at least 58 dead, the most since the May 31, 1985 outbreak that killed 88.