- The world's first man-made orbiting satellite was launched. (1957) The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union is considered the beginning of the "Space Age." It successfully orbited the Earth for three months and traveled about 37 million miles (60 million kilometers).
- Germany requested an armistice from the US during World War I. (1918) Max von Baden, the newly appointed German Chancellor, contacted US President Woodrow Wilson hoping to establish a truce. President Wilson turned him down, indicating that Germany needed to become a democratic state before that could happen. The short negotiations, however, diminished the German military's desire to continue fighting; the war ended on November 11.
- The second-largest bank robbery in US history took place. (1997) $17.3 million US Dollars (USD) were stolen from the Loomis, Fargo & Company bank. In terms of cash robberies, it was the second largest in US history. Twenty-four people were eventually convicted of crimes associated with the robbery, and about 95 percent of the cash was recovered.
- The first US Open golf tournament took place. (1895) The US Golf Association hosted the tournament in Rhode Island at the Newport Country Club. The first tournament lasted one day and was played in rounds on a nine-hole course. The winner took home $150 USD and a gold medal. Today, the US Open is one of four worldwide golf tournaments played each year.
- The first commercial flight service across the Atlantic began. (1958) Passengers could regularly fly from New York to London for the first time on British Overseas Airway Corp. (BOAC) jetliners.
- Sculpting on the US monument Mount Rushmore began. (1927) American sculptor Gutzon Borglum took about 12 years to finish the famous South Dakota monument, which features the faces of US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
- Belgium became an independent country. (1830) Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands after winning the Belgian Revolution. The country was recognized by the European countries with the signing of the Treaty of London in 1939.
- The Bible was printed in English for the first time. (1537) The "Mathew Bible" was translated by Miles Coverdale and William Tyndale and published by John Rogers, who worked under the name Thomas Mathew.
- The Orient Express ran for the first time. (1883) The first route of the famous passenger train, which operated under the name Express d'Orient until 1891, connected Paris, Vienna, Munich and Romania. Four more routes were later added. Operations ceased in 2009.
- Pope Paul VI became the first Pope to visit the US. (1965) He also was the first Pope to venture into the Western Hemisphere. Pope Paul VI arrived in New York to plead with the US government for peace during the Vietnam War.