In 1627, raids by Ottoman pirates commence on Icelandic villages, resulting in the capture of over 400 individuals for sale into slavery.
During 1756, the Black Hole of Calcutta incident occurs, where 146 British soldiers, Anglo-Indians, and Indian civilians are confined in a cramped dungeon in Calcutta, India, leading to most succumbing to suffocation and heat exhaustion.
Queen Victoria, aged 18, ascends to the British throne in 1837 following the death of her uncle, King William IV, reigning until 1901 for a total of 63 years.
In 1840, Samuel Morse secures a patent for his telegraph.
Italy declares war on Austria in 1866, marking the beginning of the Third Italian War of Independence.
In 1893, Lizzie Borden is acquitted of the axe murders of her parents in Massachusetts, committed in 1892.
On this day in 1909, Errol Flynn is born in Hobart, Tasmania, becoming known as an Australian actor famed for roles in Captain Blood and Robin Hood.
Born in 1915, Dick Reynolds becomes known as an AFL footballer and coach.
1936 sees Jesse Owens of the US break the 100-metre record, clocking in at 10.2 seconds.
Brian Wilson, singer, songwriter, and Beach Boys founder, is born on this day in 1942 in Inglewood, California.
In 1944, the Nazis initiate a mass extermination of Jews at Auschwitz.
In 1949, tennis icon Gussie Moran (Gorgeous Gussie) stuns Wimbledon by donning a short dress, claiming it allows her to ‘look good’ and ‘move more freely on the court’.
1975 marks the release of ‘Jaws,’ directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley’s novel.
In the 1976 UEFA European Championship Final at Red Star Stadium in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia scores a surprising victory over West Germany, winning 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw following extra time.
English footballer Frank Lampard is born in 1978.
The film ‘Blues Brothers,’ featuring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, premieres in 1980.
In 1980, Roberto Duran from Panama claims the WBC Welterweight boxing title by defeating Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
1987 witnesses the first Rugby World Cup Final at Eden Park in Auckland, where the All Blacks triumph over France with a score of 29-9.
During the 1999 Cricket World Cup at Lord’s in London, Shane Warne achieves 4/33, aiding Australia in defeating Pakistan by 8 wickets.
At the FIFA World Cup in 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo heads a goal against Morocco, becoming the all-time leading European goal-scorer (85) in international matches.
