Constantinople is severely damaged by an earthquake.

Constantinople557 Constantinople earthquake

Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong of the Tang dynasty conspires to kill the powerful eunuchs of the Tang court, but the plot is foiled.

Sweet Dew IncidentEmperor Wenzong of TangTang dynastyEunuch

St. Lucia's flood: The Zuiderzee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses, killing over 50,000 people.

St. Lucia's floodZuiderzee

Princess Mary Stuart becomes Mary, Queen of Scots.

Mary, Queen of Scots

The Theresian Military Academy is founded in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

Theresian Military AcademyWiener Neustadt

The Montgolfier brothers first test fly a hot air balloon in France; it floats nearly 2 km (1.2 mi).

Montgolfier brothersHot air balloon

The French invasion of Russia comes to an end as the remnants of the Grande Armée are expelled from Russia.

French invasion of RussiaGrande Armée

War of 1812: The Royal Navy seizes control of Lake Borgne, Louisiana.

War of 1812Royal NavyBattle of Lake BorgneLake BorgneLouisiana

Alabama becomes the 22nd U.S. state.

AlabamaU.S. state

The Toledo War unofficially ends.

Toledo War

The Glasgow Underground Railway is opened by the Glasgow District Subway Company.

Glasgow Subway

Quantum mechanics: Max Planck presents a theoretical derivation of his black-body radiation law.

Quantum mechanicsMax PlanckPlanck's law

The Commercial Pacific Cable Company lays the first Pacific telegraph cable, from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Commercial Pacific Cable CompanyTelegraphySan FranciscoHonolulu

The Wright brothers make their first attempt to fly with the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Wright brothersWright FlyerKitty Hawk, North Carolina

The schooner Thomas W. Lawson runs aground and founders near the Hellweather's Reef within the Isles of Scilly in a gale. The pilot and 15 seamen die.

Thomas W. Lawson (ship)Isles of Scilly

New South Wales Premier Charles Wade signs the Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909, formally completing the transfer of State land to the Commonwealth to create the Australian Capital Territory.

New South WalesCharles WadeSeat of Government Surrender Act 1909Australian Capital Territory

Roald Amundsen's team, comprising himself, Olav Bjaaland, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel, and Oscar Wisting, becomes the first to reach the South Pole.

Roald AmundsenOlav BjaalandHelmer HanssenSverre HasselOscar Wisting

Haruna, the fourth and last Kongō-class ship, launches, eventually becoming one of the Japanese workhorses during World War I and World War II.

Japanese battleship HarunaKongō-class battlecruiserEmpire of JapanWorld War IWorld War II

Lisandro de la Torre and others found the Democratic Progressive Party (Partido Demócrata Progresista, PDP) at the Hotel Savoy, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lisandro de la TorreDemocratic Progressive Party (Argentina)Buenos AiresArgentina

Friedrich Karl von Hessen, a German prince elected by the Parliament of Finland to become King Väinö I, renounces the Finnish throne.

Prince Frederick Charles of HesseParliament of FinlandList of monarchs of Finland

Portuguese President Sidónio Pais is assassinated.

President of PortugalSidónio Pais

Winter War: The Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations for invading Finland.

Winter WarSoviet UnionLeague of Nations

Plutonium (specifically Pu-238) is first isolated at Berkeley, California.

PlutoniumPu-238

World War II: Japan signs a treaty of alliance with Thailand.

World War IIThailand

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Ceylon, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Libya, Nepal, Portugal, Romania and Spain join the United Nations through United Nations Security Council Resolution 109.

AlbaniaAustriaBulgariaKingdom of Cambodia (1953-70)Dominion of Ceylon

The 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition becomes the first to reach the southern pole of inaccessibility.

3rd Soviet Antarctic ExpeditionPole of inaccessibility

Convention against Discrimination in Education of UNESCO is adopted.

Convention against Discrimination in EducationUNESCO

NASA's Mariner 2 becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Venus.

NASAMariner 2SpacecraftVenus

The dam containing the Baldwin Hills Reservoir bursts, killing five people and damaging hundreds of homes in Los Angeles, California.

Baldwin Hills ReservoirLos Angeles

American Civil Rights Movement: Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Congress can use the Constitution's Commerce Clause to fight discrimination.

American Civil Rights MovementHeart of Atlanta Motel v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United StatesUnited States CongressUnited States Constitution