1609 Galileo demonstrated his first telescope to the Venetian lawmakers 1894 Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato discovered the infectious agent in the bubonic plague and published his work

79 until 2018 it was believed this was the day Mount Vesuvius had its major eruption burying Pompeii 2008 the summer Olympic Games in Beijing became the most watched event ever on TV 5 billion people or 70% of the world watched

1842 the Battle of Stalingrad took place with 600 Luftwaffe planes bombing Stalingrad over 40,000 people died 1996 Osama bin Laden sent the message declaring war on the Americans occupying land the 2 Holy Places

1932 BBC began experimental regular television broadcasts 1945 Ho Chi Minh led a successful coup as Vietnam conflict begins until ending in 1975

1192 Minamoto Yoritomo became Seii Tai Shogun the ruler of Japan 1888 American Inventor William Seward Burroughs patents the adding machine

1597 the 1st Dutch East india Company ship returned from the Far East to the Netherlands 1866 President Andrew Johnson formally declared the end of the American Civil War