• 1091
• Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.

• 1386
• Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and becomes its vassal.

• 1429
• Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.

• 1483
• Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile.

• 1521
• Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of VästerÃ¥s.

• 1770
• James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names.

• 1781
• American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique.

• 1834
• Charles Darwin during the second survey voyage of HMS Beagle, ascended the Bell mountain, Cerro La Campana on 17 August 1834, his visit being commemorated by a memorial plaque.

• 1861
• American Civil War: Maryland's House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.

• 1862
• American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut.

• 1864
• Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War.

• 1903
• A 30 million cubic-metre landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada.

• 1910
• The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.

• 1911
• Tsinghua University, one of mainland China's leading universities, is founded.

• 1916
• World War I: The UK's 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point.

• 1916
• Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.

• 1944
• World War II: British agent Nancy Wake, a leading figure in the French Resistance and the Gestapo's most wanted person, parachutes back into France to be a liaison between London and the local maquis group.

• 1945
• World War II: The German army in Italy unconditionally surrenders to the Allies.

• 1945
• World War II: Start of Operation Manna.

• 1945
• World War II: The Captain-class frigate HMS Goodall (K479) is torpedoed by U-286 outside the Kola Inlet becoming the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the European theatre of World War II.

• 1945
• World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Hitler and Braun both commit suicide the following day.

• 1945
• Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.

• 1945
• The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces by Brazilian forces.

• 912
• Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Japanese samurai (d. 997)

• 1469
• William II, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1509)

• 1587
• Sophie of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania (d. 1635)

• 1636
• Esaias Reusner, German lute player and composer (d. 1679)

• 1665
• James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1745)

• 1667
• John Arbuthnot, Scottish-English physician and polymath (d. 1735)

• 1686
• Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1742)

• 1727
• Jean-Georges Noverre, French actor and dancer (d. 1810)

• 1745
• Oliver Ellsworth, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1807)

• 1758
• Georg Carl von Döbeln, Swedish general (d. 1820)

• 1762
• Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French general and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1833)

• 1780
• Charles Nodier, French librarian and author (d. 1844)

• 1783
• David Cox, English landscape painter (d. 1859)

• 1784
• Samuel Turell Armstrong, American publisher and politician, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1850)

• 1810
• Thomas Adolphus Trollope, English journalist and author (d. 1892)

• 1814
• Sadok BarÄ…cz, Galician religious leader, historian, folklorist, archivist (d. 1892)

• 1818
• Alexander II of Russia (d. 1881)

• 1837
• Georges Ernest Boulanger, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1891)

• 1842
• Carl Millöcker, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1899)

• 1847
• Joachim Andersen, Danish flautist, composer, conductor, and co-founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (d. 1907)

• 1848
• Raja Ravi Varma, Indian painter and academic (d. 1906)

• 1854
• Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist, and engineer (d. 1912)

• 1863
• Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian-Greek journalist and poet (d. 1933)

• 1863
• William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation (d. 1951)

• 1863
• Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Austrian nun and missionary (d. 1922)

• 1872
• Harry Payne Whitney, American businessman and lawyer (d. 1930)

• 1872
• Forest Ray Moulton, American astronomer and academic (d. 1952)

• 1875
• Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer (d. 1950)

• 1878
• Friedrich Adler, Jewish-German academic, artist and designer. (d.1945)

• 1880
• Fethi Okyar, Turkish military officer, diplomat and politician (d. 1943)

• 1882
• Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer, typographer, and Nazi resister (d. 1945)

• 1885
• Egon Erwin Kisch, Czech journalist and author (d. 1948)

• 1887
• Raymond Thorne, American swimmer (d. 1921)

• 1891
• Bharathidasan, Indian poet and activist (d. 1964)

• 1893
• Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)

• 1894
• Marietta Blau, Austrian physicist and academic (d. 1970)

• 1895
• Vladimir Propp, Russian scholar and critic (d. 1970)

• 1895
• Malcolm Sargent, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1967)

• 1899
• Douglas Abbott, Canadian lawyer and politician, 10th Canadian Minister of National Defence (d. 1987)

• 1899
• Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1974)

• 1899
• Mary Petty, American illustrator (d. 1976)

• 1900
• Concha de Albornoz, Spanish feminist and intellectual, exiled during the Spanish Civil War (d. 1972)

• 1900
• Amelia Best, Australian politician, one of the first women elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly (d. 1979)

• 1901
• Hirohito, Japanese emperor (d. 1989)

• 1907
• Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer (d. 1997)

• 1908
• Jack Williamson, American author and academic (d. 2006)

• 1909
• Tom Ewell, American actor (d. 1994)

• 1912
• Richard Carlson, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)

• 1915
• Henry H. Barschall, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1997)

• 1917
• Maya Deren, Ukrainian-American director, poet, and photographer (d. 1961)

• 1917
• Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (d. 2012)

• 1917
• Marcel Trudel, Canadian historian and author (d. 2011)

• 1918
• George Allen, American football player and coach (d. 1990)

• 1919
• Gérard Oury, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2006)

• 1920
• Edward Blishen, English author and radio host (d. 1996)

• 1920
• Harold Shapero, American composer (d. 2013)

• 1922
• Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist (d. 2001)

• 1922
• Toots Thielemans, Belgian guitarist and harmonica player (d. 2016)

• 1923
• Irvin Kershner, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)

• 1924
• Al Balding, Canadian golfer (d. 2006)

• 1924
• Zizi Jeanmaire, French ballerina and actress

• 1925
• John Compton, Saint Lucian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia (d. 2007)

• 1925
• Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (d. 2007)

• 1926
• Elmer Kelton, American journalist and author (d. 2009)

• 1927
• Dorothy Manley, English sprinter

• 1927
• Bill Slater, English footballer

• 1928
• Carl Gardner, American R&B/rock & roll singer (The Robins, The Coasters) (d. 2011)

• 1928
• Heinz Wolff, German-English physiologist, engineer, and academic

• 1929
• Walter Kempowski, German author and academic (d. 2007)

• 1929
• Mickey McDermott, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)

• 1929
• Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2014)

• 1929
• Maurice Strong, Canadian businessman and diplomat (d. 2015)

• 1929
• Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (d. 2014)

• 1930
• Jean Rochefort, French actor and director (d. 2017)

• 1931
• Frank Auerbach, British-German painter

• 1931
• Lonnie Donegan, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)

• 1931
• Chris Pearson, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (d. 2014)

• 1932
• Joy Clements, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)

• 1932
• David Tindle, English painter and educator

• 1933
• Ed Charles, African-American baseball player and coach

• 1933
• Mark Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 61st Prime Minister of Belgium

• 1933
• Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2015)

• 1933
• Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor

• 1934
• Luis Aparicio, Venezuelan-American baseball player

• 1934
• Peter de la Billière, English general

• 1934
• Erika Fisch, German sprinter and hurdler

• 1934
• Pedro Pires, Cape Verdean politician, 3rd President of Cape Verde

• 1935
• Otis Rush, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1936
• Zubin Mehta, Indian bassist and conductor

• 1936
• Adolfo Nicolás, Spanish priest, 13th Superior General of the Society of Jesus

• 1936
• Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English banker and philanthropist

• 1936
• April Stevens, American pop singer

• 1937
• Arvo Mets, Estonian-Russian poet and translator (d. 1997)

• 1937
• Jill Paton Walsh, English author

• 1938
• Bernard Madoff, American businessman and financier

• 1938
• Klaus Voormann, German artist, bass player, and producer

• 1940
• Stephanos of Tallinn, Estonian metropolitan

• 1940
• Brian Taber, Australian cricketer

• 1941
• Jonah Barrington, English-Irish squash player

• 1941
• Hanne Darboven, German painter (d. 2009)

• 1942
• Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, English politician, Minister of State for Europe

• 1942
• Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie, English civil servant and academic

• 643
• Hou Junji, Chinese general and politician, Chancellor of the Tang dynasty

• 926
• Burchard II, Duke of Swabia (b. 883)

• 1326
• Blanche of Burgundy, queen consort of France (b. c. 1296)

• 1380
• Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic, philosopher, and saint (b. 1347)

• 1417
• Louis II of Naples (b. 1377)

• 1594
• Thomas Cooper, English bishop, lexicographer, and theologian (b. 1517)

• 1630
• Agrippa d'Aubigné, French soldier and poet (b. 1552)

• 1658
• John Cleveland, English poet and author (b. 1613)

• 1676
• Michiel de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (b. 1607)

• 1688
• Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1620)

• 1698
• Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk (b. 1655)

• 1707
• George Farquhar, Irish-English actor and playwright (b. 1678)

• 1743
• Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French theorist and author (b. 1658)

• 1768
• Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (b. 1694)

• 1771
• Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, French-Italian architect, designed Winter Palace and Catherine Palace (b. 1700)

• 1776
• Edward Wortley Montagu, English explorer and author (b. 1713)

• 1793
• John Michell, English geologist and astronomer (b. 1724)

• 1798
• Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus, Austrian entomologist and author (b. 1723)

• 1833
• William Babington, Anglo-Irish physician and mineralogist (b. 1756)

• 1854
• Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1768)

• 1903
• Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and zoologist (b. 1835)

• 1905
• Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (b. 1847)

• 1916
• Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1850)

• 1920
• William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (b. 1839)

• 1921
• Arthur Mold, English cricketer (b. 1863)

• 1933
• Constantine P. Cavafy, Greek poet and journalist (b. 1863)

• 1937
• William Gillette, American actor and playwright (b. 1853)

• 1944
• Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (b. 1851)

• 1945
• Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, German SS officer (b. 1893)

• 1947
• Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (b. 1867)

• 1951
• Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-English philosopher and academic (b. 1889)

• 1954
• Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (b. 1872)

• 1956
• Harold Bride, English soldier and operator (b. 1890)

• 1956
• Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (b. 1876)

• 1959
• Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, India-born English soldier and Governor of Gibraltar (b. 1891)

• 1964
• Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (b. 1905)

• 1966
• William Eccles, English physicist and engineer (b. 1875)

• 1966
• Paula Strasberg, American actress, acting coach, and member of the Communist Party (b. 1909)

• 1967
• J. B. Lenoir, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)

• 1976
• Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (b. 1883)

• 1978
• Theo Helfrich, German racing driver (b. 1913)

• 1979
• Muhsin ErtuÄŸrul, Turkish actor and director (b. 1892)

• 1979
• Hardie Gramatky, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)

• 1980
• Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director and producer (b. 1899)