1779 – English engraver and poet William Blake begins study at the Royal Academy, Old Somerset House, London
1903 – J M Synge’s play “In the Shadow of the Glen” premieres in Dublin
1939 – Germany annexes Western Poland
1942 – Comedy duo Abbott and Costello launch their weekly radio show
1944 – Samuel Barber’s “Capricorn Concerto” premieres at The Town Hall, NYC, in a performance by Daniel Saidenberg and his Little Symphony
1956 – Yankees pitcher Don Larsen throws a perfect game as New York beats Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0 in Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium
1968 – Dutch aircraft carrier Karel Doorman (formerly British HMS Venerable) sold to Argentina
1974 – Franklin National Bank collapses due to fraud and mismanagement; at the time it was the largest bank failure in the history of the United States.
2001 – US President George W. Bush announces the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security
2012 – 35 people are killed by a Nigerian military bomb struck a convoy in Maiduguri