On this day...

1290 Earthquake in Gulf of Chili China, reportedly kills 100,000
1540 Society of Jesus (Jesuits) founded by Ignatius Loyola
1777 Battle of Germantown; Washington defeated by the British
1779 John Adams negotiates Revolutionary War peace terms with Britain
1787 Constitution submitted to the states for ratification
1821 Mexican Empire declares its independence
1821 Revolutionary forces occupy Mexico City as Spanish withdraw
1825 Railroad transportation is born with 1st track in England
1854 Steamship Arctic sank with 300 people aboard
1863 Jo Shelby's calvery in action at Moffat's Station, Arkansas
1877 John Mercer Langston named minister of Haiti
1881 Chicago Cubs beat Troy 10-8 before record small "crowd" of 12
1894 Aqueduct racetrack opens in NY
1905 1st published blues composition goes on sale, WC Handy Memphis Blues
1905 Boston's Bill Dinneen no-hits Chic White Sox, 2-0
1910 1st test flight of a twin-engined airplance (France)
1919 Democratic National Committee votes to admit women
1919 Pitcher Bob Shawkey sets then Yank record with 15 strike-outs
1921 Yanks beat Indians 21-7 in Polo Grounds
1923 Lou Gehrig's 1st homer
1928 US recognizes Nationalist Chinese government
1930 Bobby Jones completes the Grand Slam of Golf
1930 White Sox 1st baseman Bud Clancy didn't handle the ball at all in a 9 inning game vs St Louis Browns
1931 Lou Gehrig completes his 6th straight season, playing in every game
1937 1st Santa Claus school opens (Albion NY)
1938 Ocean liner Queen Elizabeth launched at Glasgow
1939 Warsaw, Poland, surrenders to Germans after 19 days of resistance
1940 Black leaders protest discrimination in US armed forces
1940 Floyd Giebells, 1st game, 2-0 pennant clinching beating Bob Feller
1941 1st WW II liberty ship, freighter Patrick Henry, launched
1942 NY Giants beat Wash Redskins 14-7 without making a 1st down
1942 St Louis Cards win NL pennant on last day of the season
1950 Heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles defeats Joe Louis
1953 Bert Bechichar, Baltimore Colts, kicks a 56-yard field goal
1953 Typhoon destroys 1/3 of Nagoya Japan
1954 School integration begins in Wash DC & Baltimore Md public schools
1954 Steve Allen's "Tonight Show" premiers
1959 Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev concludes his US visit
1959 Typhoon Vera, hits Japanese island of Honshu, kills nearly 5,000
1961 Sierre Leone becomes the 100th member of the UN
1962 US sells Israel, Hawk anti-aircraft missiles
1963 At 10:59 AM the census clock, records US population at 190,000,000
1964 Phillies 7th straight loses sends them into 2nd place
1964 Warren Commission released, finding Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone
1967 Phillies Jim Bunning ties NL record of 5, 1-0 losses in a year
1968 Cardinal's super pitcher Bob Gibson's 13th shutout of the year
1970 Ken Boswell sets 2nd baseman record of 85 games without an error
1972 1st game at Nassau Coliseum, Rangers beat Islanders 6-4 (exhibition)
1973 Nolan Ryan strikesout his 383rd batter of the year
1973 Soyuz 12 carries 2 cosmonauts into Earth orbit (2 days)
1977 Phillies clinch 2nd straight NL East Division title
1979 Congress' final approval to create Dept of Education
1980 WHOT (Bkln NY pirate radio station) begins on 1620 AM & 92.5 FM
1982 John Palmer becomes news anchor of the Today Show
1985 Hurricane Gloria's 130 MPH wind hits the Atlantic coast
1986 Senate joins House of Reps voting for sweeping tax reforms
1987 NFL players' strike
1988 Grand jury evidence shows Tawana Brawley fabricated rape story
1988 Lab tests reportedly show Shroud of Turin not Christ`s burial cloth
1988 Senate votes for major federal tax code changes
1989 Sony purchases Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion cash
1990 A gunman holds 33 people (killing 1) hostage in Berkley Calif
1990 Deposed emir of Kuwait address the UN General Assembly
1990 Senate Judiciary committee approves Souter's Supreme Court nomination
1990 Tour de France champion Greg LeMond visits White House
1991 "Princesses" premiers on CBS TV
1991 Pres Bush decides to end full-time B-52 bombers alert
1991 1st scheduled NHL exhibition game in St Petersburg Fla, is cancelled due to poor ice conditions (NY Islanders vs Boston Bruins)