Major world events:
- 1973: The landmark Roe v. Wade decision by the US Supreme Court legalizes abortion in most instances, sparking ongoing debate and cultural impact.
- 1946: The short-lived Republic of Mahabad, an independent Kurdish state, is established in Iran.
- 1905: "Bloody Sunday" occurs in St. Petersburg, Russia, as troops fire on peaceful protestors leading to the 1905 Revolution.
- 1879: British soldiers defend Rorke's Drift against a much larger Zulu force in the Anglo-Zulu War.
Other notable events:
- 2006: Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, is sworn in.
- 1970: The iconic Boeing 747 takes off on its first commercial flight.
- 1929: Poet and philosopher Gotthold Ephraim Lessing is born.
- 1813: Lord Byron, the romantic poet, turns 26.