1794
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, was guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
1877
The first Westminister Dog Show was held.
1902
Mount Pelee on Martinique erupted, destroying the town of St. Pierre, and killing 40,000 people.
1945
V-E Day marks the European victory of the Allies in World War II.
1973
The 10-week Wounded Knee occupation ended when members of the American Indian Movement surrendered.
1978
David Berkowitz, a.k.a. the “Son of Sam,” plead guilty to killing six people in New York City.
1999
The Citadel in South Carolina graduated its first female cadet, Nancy Mace.
Birthdays
Edward Gibbon
historian (1737)
Jean Henri Dunant
founder of the International Red Cross (1828)
Harry S. Truman
33rd President of the United States (1884)
Joselito
matador (1895)
Thomas Pynchon
novelist (1937)
Peter Benchley
novelist (1940)