1813: U.S. troops defeat the British and their Native allies at the Battle of the Thames. Fought in what is now Ontario, Canada, during the War of 1812, the battle pitted Gen. William Henry Harrison's American force against a retreating British army and roughly 1,000 Native warriors led by the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. The British line broke quickly, and Tecumseh was killed in the fighting. His death shattered the tribal confederacy he had built and secured American control of the Northwest frontier.
1877: Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce surrender to the U.S. Army. Ordered onto a reservation, the Nez Perce had left their homeland and fought a running retreat of more than 1,000 miles through Idaho, Yellowstone and Montana in a bid to reach Canada. Troops under Col. Nelson Miles caught them in the Bear Paw Mountains of Montana, about 40 miles short of the border. Joseph's surrender speech is remembered for his vow to fight no more forever.
1892: The Dalton Gang is shot down while trying to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. The outlaw brothers and their partners tried to hold up two banks at the same time, but townspeople recognized them, armed themselves and opened fire as the gang came out. Four gang members were killed, including Bob and Grat Dalton, along with four citizens. Emmett Dalton survived his wounds and served 14 years in prison.
1918: Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line in World War I. The Hindenburg Line was a heavily fortified chain of German defenses built across northern France in the winter of 1916 to 1917. British, Australian, American and French troops pierced it during the Hundred Days Offensive that closed out the war. With its last strong position on the Western Front gone, Germany signed the armistice just over five weeks later, on November 11.
1961:Breakfast at Tiffany's premieres. Audrey Hepburn played Holly Golightly, a free-spirited New York socialite, in the Blake Edwards film based on Truman Capote's novella. The opening image of Hepburn in a black Givenchy dress outside the Fifth Avenue jeweler became one of the most famous in movie history. Henry Mancini's “Moon River,” written with lyricist Johnny Mercer, won the Academy Award for best original song.
1962:Dr. No, the first James Bond film, premieres in London. Sean Connery starred as British secret agent 007 in the adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel, with Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder. Made on a budget of about $1 million, it was a hit and launched one of the longest-running franchises in film history.
1969:Monty Python's Flying Circus debuts on the BBC. The sketch show starred Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with surreal animation by American Terry Gilliam. Its absurd, rule-breaking humor was a turning point for television comedy. The series ran until 1974 and led to films including Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
1970: PBS begins broadcasting. The Public Broadcasting Service took over from National Educational Television as the network linking America's noncommercial stations. Its early lineup featured the children's programs Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, both of which became fixtures for generations of young viewers.
1983: Polish labor leader Lech Wałęsa is named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. A shipyard electrician from Gdansk, Wałęsa led Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc, which Poland's communist government had outlawed under martial law. Fearing he would not be allowed back into the country, he sent his wife, Danuta, to Oslo to accept the award. He was elected president of Poland in 1990.
1998: The House Judiciary Committee recommends an impeachment inquiry against President Bill Clinton. The committee voted 21 to 16 along party lines to recommend hearings, following independent counsel Kenneth Starr's report on Clinton's relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The full House impeached Clinton that December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. The Senate acquitted him in February 1999.
2001: Barry Bonds breaks baseball's single-season home run record. The San Francisco Giants slugger hit his 71st and 72nd home runs of the year against the Los Angeles Dodgers, passing the mark of 70 set by Mark McGwire in 1998. Bonds finished the season with 73, a record that still stands. His achievements were later clouded by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use.
2007: Track star Marion Jones pleads guilty to lying to federal investigators about her steroid use. After years of denials, the American sprinter admitted in federal court that she had used performance-enhancing drugs before the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She gave up the five medals she won there, three of them gold, and was later sentenced to six months in prison.
2011: Apple cofounder Steve Jobs dies at age 56. Jobs started Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976 and helped launch the personal computer era with the Apple II and the Macintosh. After returning to the company in 1997, he oversaw the iPod, iPhone and iPad. He died at his home in Palo Alto, California, from complications of pancreatic cancer, weeks after stepping down as chief executive.
Born on This Day
1703: Jonathan Edwards, American theologian and preacher A leading voice of the Great Awakening, remembered for the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”
1713: Denis Diderot, French philosopher and writer Chief editor of the Encyclopédie, one of the landmark works of the Enlightenment.
1728: Chevalier d'Éon, French diplomat and spy A secret agent for King Louis XV who became famous across Europe for living publicly first as a man and later as a woman.
1829: Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president Took office in 1881 after the assassination of James Garfield and signed the Pendleton Act, which reformed the federal civil service.
1864: Louis Lumière, French film pioneer With his brother Auguste, developed the Cinématographe camera and projector and staged the first paid public movie screenings in 1895.
1882: Robert Goddard, American physicist and rocket pioneer Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and known as the father of modern rocketry, he launched the first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926.
1895: Walter Bedell Smith, U.S. Army general Dwight Eisenhower's chief of staff in World War II, later ambassador to the Soviet Union and director of the CIA.
1902: Larry Fine, American comedian The frizzy-haired member of the Three Stooges, alongside Moe and Curly.
1902: Ray Kroc, American businessman Turned McDonald's from a single California burger stand into a worldwide chain, and later owned the San Diego Padres.
1917: Allen Ludden, American television game show host Longtime host of Password and the husband of Betty White.
1919: Donald Pleasence, English actor Played Dr. Loomis in the Halloween films and the Bond villain Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.
1922: Bil Keane, American cartoonist Creator of the long-running newspaper comic The Family Circus.
1923: Glynis Johns, British actress and singer Played the suffragette mother, Mrs. Banks, in Mary Poppins and introduced “Send in the Clowns” on Broadway.
1924: Bill Dana, American comedian and writer Best known for his 1960s comic character José Jiménez.
1928: Louise Fitzhugh, American author and illustrator Wrote the children's classic Harriet the Spy.
1928: Marjorie Finlay, American opera singer and television personality Grandmother of Taylor Swift and the inspiration for Swift's song “Marjorie.”
1929: Richard F. Gordon Jr., American astronaut Flew on Gemini 11 and orbited the moon as command module pilot of Apollo 12.
1932: Dean Prentice, Canadian hockey player Played more than two decades in the NHL and has a Minnesota connection: he finished his career with the Minnesota North Stars.
1933: Billy Lee Riley, American rockabilly musician Sun Records artist known for “Red Hot” and “Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll.”
1936: Václav Havel, Czech playwright and statesman The dissident writer led the Velvet Revolution and served as president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 and of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.
1937: Barry Switzer, American football coach Turns 89. Won three national championships at Oklahoma and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
1938: Johnny Duncan, American country singer Scored 1970s country chart-toppers with “Thinkin' of a Rendezvous” and “It Couldn't Have Been Any Better.”
1942: Richard Street, American singer Member of the Temptations for more than 20 years, heard on “Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.”
1943: Steve Miller, American rock musician Turns 83. Leader of the Steve Miller Band, known for “The Joker” and “Fly Like an Eagle.”
1943: Michael Morpurgo, English author Turns 83. Wrote War Horse, later a hit stage play and a Steven Spielberg film.
1945: Brian Connolly, Scottish rock singer Lead singer of Sweet on “Ballroom Blitz” and “Fox on the Run.”
1947: Brian Johnson, English rock singer Turns 79. Frontman of AC/DC since the Back in Black album in 1980.
1948: Russell Mael, American singer Turns 78. Lead vocalist of the art-pop duo Sparks with his brother Ron.
1949: Bill James, American baseball writer and statistician Turns 77. Pioneer of sabermetrics, the statistical approach that reshaped how baseball teams are built.
1950: Jeff Conaway, American actor Played Kenickie in Grease and Bobby Wheeler on Taxi.
1951: Karen Allen, American actress Turns 75. Played Marion Ravenwood opposite Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark and appeared in Animal House.
1951: Bob Geldof, Irish singer and activist Turns 75. Boomtown Rats frontman who organized Band Aid and the Live Aid concerts for famine relief.
1952: Clive Barker, English author and filmmaker Turns 74. Horror writer who created Hellraiser and the Books of Blood.
1952: Harold Faltermeyer, German composer and keyboardist Wrote “Axel F” from Beverly Hills Cop and the Top Gun Anthem.
1952: Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer and politician Turns 74. Captained Pakistan to the 1992 Cricket World Cup title and later served as prime minister.
1957: Bernie Mac, American comedian and actor Star of The Bernie Mac Show and the Ocean's Eleven films.
1958: Neil deGrasse Tyson, American astrophysicist and author Turns 68. Director of New York's Hayden Planetarium and host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
1959: Maya Lin, American architect and sculptor Turns 67. Designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington while still a college student.
1960: Daniel Baldwin, American actor Turns 66. One of the four Baldwin brothers, known for Homicide: Life on the Street.
1962: Michael Andretti, American race car driver Turns 64. The 1991 IndyCar champion, son of Mario Andretti, and later a successful team owner.
1965: Mario Lemieux, Canadian hockey player Turns 61. Hall of Fame center who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cups and later became the team's owner.
1965: Patrick Roy, Canadian hockey goaltender and coach Turns 61. Won four Stanley Cups, two each with the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.
1966: Dennis Byrd, American football player New York Jets defensive lineman who learned to walk again after being paralyzed in a 1992 game.
1967: Rex Chapman, American basketball player and broadcaster Turns 59. Former Kentucky star and NBA guard who became a popular social media personality.
1967: Guy Pearce, English-Australian actor Turns 59. Starred in Memento and L.A. Confidential.
1970: Josie Bissett, American actress Turns 56. Played Jane Mancini on Melrose Place.
1972: Grant Hill, American basketball player Turns 54. Two-time NCAA champion at Duke, seven-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer.
1973: Cédric Villani, French mathematician Winner of the 2010 Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics.
1974: Rich Franklin, American mixed martial artist Turns 52. Former UFC middleweight champion.
1974: Heather Headley, Trinidadian-American singer and actress Turns 52. Won a Tony Award for the title role in Aida on Broadway and a Grammy as a recording artist.
1975: Parminder Nagra, English actress Turns 51. Starred in Bend It Like Beckham and played Dr. Neela Rasgotra on ER.
1975: Scott Weinger, American actor Turns 51. The voice of Disney's Aladdin and D.J.'s boyfriend Steve on Full House.
1975: Kate Winslet, English actress Turns 51. Starred in Titanic and won an Oscar for The Reader.
1978: Jesse Palmer, Canadian television host and former football player Turns 48. Former New York Giants quarterback who hosts The Bachelor.
1978: James Valentine, American musician Turns 48. Lead guitarist of Maroon 5.
1980: Paul Thomas, American bass player Turns 46. Bassist for the pop-punk band Good Charlotte.
1983: Jesse Eisenberg, American actor and writer Turns 43. Played Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network and starred in Zombieland.
1983: Nicky Hilton, American socialite and fashion designer Hilton hotel heiress and younger sister of Paris Hilton.
1987: Dillon Francis, American DJ and record producer Turns 39. Electronic dance music producer known for “Get Low” with DJ Snake.
1989: Travis Kelce, American football player Turns 37. Star tight end who won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs.
1993: Jewell Loyd, American basketball player Turns 33. WNBA champion guard and Olympic gold medalist.
2006: Jacob Tremblay, Canadian actor Turns 20. Broke out as a child star in Room and Wonder.
