| 1775 | In the Battle of Great Bridge, fought in Chesapeake, Virginia , the Virginia militia defeats forces of the British governor. | |
| 1824 | The last Spanish army to set foot on the continent is defeated by the combined forces of Peru and Colombia near Ayacucho, Peru. |
| 1940 | In World War II, British troops launch their first major offensive in North Africa. | |
| 1941 | China declares war on Germany, Italy, and Japan. | |
| 1948 | The UN General Assembly unanimously adopts a Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. | |
| 1986 | Students in China begin large-scale demonstrations for democracy. | |
| 1992 | It is announced in Britain that Prince Charles and his wife, Diana, have agreed to separate. | |
| The first U.S. troops arrive in famine-stricken Somalia as part of a UN-sanctioned force. |
