Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1811

Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

1830

The French occupied the North African city of Algiers.

1865

William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

1935

President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which provided for a National Labor Relations Board and authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.

1940

During World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations.

1946

The bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.

1948

Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.

1956

Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.; the song he recorded was ''That's All Right (Mama).''

1971

President Richard Nixon certified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.

1975

Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.

1984

The Supreme Court weakened the 70-year-old ''exclusionary rule,'' deciding that evidence seized with defective court warrants could be used against defendants in criminal trials.

1989

Former National Security Council aide Oliver North received a $150,000 fine and a suspended prison term for his part in Iran-Contra. The convictions were later overturned.

1989

The iconic TV sitcom “Seinfeld” aired its first ever episode.

1991

A worldwide financial scandal erupted as regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, charging it with fraud, drug money laundering and illegal infiltration into the U.S. banking system.

1994

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in the garage of his home in Bellevue, Washington.

2016

The FBI released a report stating that they did not recommend criminal prosecution of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her handling of classified emails, but also criticized her for being careless.

1943

Robbie Robertson was a Canadian musician recognized for his work as lead guitarist for Bob Dylan in the 1960s and 1970s; as guitarist and songwriter with the Band from their inception until 1978, and for his career as a solo recording artist. (d. 2023)