The Cold War border between Austria and Hungary was opened for a short period of time for the Pan-European picnic.

The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing all American women the right to vote.

Parliament passed the Marriage Act that legalised civil marriages and introduced their formal registration.

Queen Victoria sent the first telegram using the newly-installed transatlantic telegraph cable to US President James Buchanan.

The Panama Canal was officially opened to traffic with the transit of SS Ancon.

The Atlantic Charter was issued by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The first complete performance of Wagner’s Ring cycle took place in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth.

The Battle of the Bogside began in Derry, Northern Ireland, marking one of the first major conflicts of The Troubles.

The Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, most famously used by the Maya civilisation, began.

The Louvre museum in Paris opened to the public in the former palace of the French royal family.

Construction began on the campanile of the Cathedral of Pisa, now better known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Traffic was stopped on the B507 road in London so The Beatles could pose for their iconic Abbey Road album cover.

Alice Huyler Ramsey became the first woman to drive an automobile across a continent when she completed a 59-day road trip from New York to San Francisco.

William Kemmler became the first person to be executed using an electric chair.