EVENTS:
- 1751 – The Theresian Military Academy is founded as the first military academy in the world.
- 1782 – The Montgolfier brothers‘ first balloon lifts off on its first test flight.
- 1819 – Alabama becomes the 22nd U.S. state.
- 1962 – NASA’s Mariner 2 becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Venus.
- 1999 – Torrential rains cause flash floods in Vargas, Venezuela, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of thousands of homes, and the complete collapse of the state’s infrastructure.
- 2003 – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf narrowly escapes an assassination attempt.
- 2004 – The Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world, is formally inaugurated near Millau, France.
- 2013 – A reported coup attempt in South Sudan leads to continued fighting and hundreds of casualties.
- 2017 – The Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality with a 3-2 majority.
- 2017 – The Walt Disney Company announces that it would acquire 21st Century Fox, including the 20th Century Fox movie studio, for $52.4 billion.
BIRTHS:
- 1896 – Jimmy Doolittle, American pilot and general, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1993)
- 1909 – Edward Lawrie Tatum, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
- 1918 – B. K. S. Iyengar, Indian yoga instructor and author, founded Iyengar Yoga (d. 2014)
- 1922 – Nikolay Basov, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2001)
- 1922 – Junior J. Spurrier, American sergeant, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1984)
- 1934 – Shyam Benegal, Indian director and screenwriter
- 1939 – Ernie Davis, American football player (d. 1963)
- 1953 – Vijay Amritraj, Indian tennis player and sportscaster
- 1960 – Chris Waddle, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
- 1963 – Greg Abbott, English footballer and manager
- 1979 – Michael Owen, English footballer and sportscaster
- 1982 – Steve Sidwell, English footballer
- 1984 – Rana Daggubati, Indian actor and producer
- 1984 – Ed Rainsford, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1988 – Nate Ebner, American football player
HOLIDAYS and OBSERVANCES:
- Alabama Day (Alabama)
- Forty-seven Ronin remembrance day (Sengaku-ji, Tokyo)
- Martyred Intellectuals Day (Bangladesh)
- Monkey Day
