1899 – John Burr patents an improved rotary blade lawn mower in the US
1922 – International Astronomical Union formally adopts Annie Jump Cannon’s stellar classification system, which, with only minor changes, is still used today
1960 – Nigeria becomes a member of British Commonwealth
1965 – The Beatles attend a Bob Dylan concert, at the Royal Albert Hall in London
1969 – Following his release from prison Ian Paisley, North Ireland Loyalist holds a ‘victory’ meeting
1971 – Friends of Earth return 1500 non-returnable bottles to Schweppes
1979 – Iranian-Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is the 1st Jew executed by the Islamic government firing squad in Tehran, prompting the mass exodus of the once 100,000-strong Jewish community of Iran
1987 – 183 die aboard a Polish jetliner that crashes in Warsaw
1993 – Landslide in Nambija Ecuador, kills 300
2012 – Mark Rothko’s “Orange, Red, Yellow” becomes the most expensive contemporary art piece sold at auction for $86.9 million