1540, King Henry VIII's marriage to Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, was annulled by the English church. Learn more →
1762, Catherine the Great overthrew Peter III and began her reign as Empress of Russia, expanding the empire westward. Learn more →
1807, Napoleon Bonaparte signed the second Treaty of Tilsit, making France and Russia allies and largely abandoning Prussia to its fate. Learn more →
1850, President Zachary Taylor died in office, and Vice President Millard Fillmore assumed the U.S. Presidency. Learn more →
1868, The 14th Amendment was ratified, granting African Americans full U.S. Citizenship and guaranteeing due process to all persons. Learn more →
1955, Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" became the first rock-and-roll single to hit number one on Billboard's pop charts. Learn more →
1979, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Jupiter, beaming back unprecedented images and data. Learn more →
2011, South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan, becoming the world's newest sovereign nation after an independence referendum. Learn more →