EVENTS:
- 1918 – The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia declare their independence.
- 1937 – Volkswagen (VW), the German automobile manufacturer was founded.
- 1964 – The Palestine Liberation Organization is formed.
- 1995 – The Russian town of Neftegorsk is hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that kills at least 2,000 people, half of the total population.
- 2008 – The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-year reign of the Shah dynasty.
- 2012 – The discovery of Flame, a complex malware program targeting computers in Middle Eastern countries, is announced.
- 2016 – Harambe, a gorilla, is shot to death after grabbing a three-year-old boy in his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking various internet memes.
- 2017 – Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato wins his first Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so. Double world champion Fernando Alonso retires from an engine issue in his first entry of the event.
BIRTHS:
- 1858 – Carl Richard Nyberg, Swedish inventor and businessman, developed the blow torch (d. 1939)
- 1883 – Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Indian politician (d. 1966)
- 1912 – Patrick White, English-Australian author, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1990)
- 1942 – Stanley B. Prusiner, American neurologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1945 – Patch Adams, American physician and author, founded the Gesundheit! Institute
- 1946 – K. Satchidanandan, Indian poet and critic
- 1957 – Colin Barnes, English footballer
- 1975 – Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistani cricketer
- 1988 – Percy Harvin, American football player
- 1990 – Kyle Walker, English footballer
- 1992 – Tom Carroll, English footballer
HOLIDAYS and OBSERVANCES:
