Today in history, Robert Guiscard and his brother Roger take Palermo in Sicily in 1072.
Today in history, The Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, is beheaded on Tower Hill, accused of acting as an enemy of the British Parliament in 1645.
Today in history, King Philip V shocks all of Europe when he abdicates his throne in favor of his eldest son, Louis in 1724.
Today in history, General Stephen Kearny and Commodore Robert Stockton retake Los Angeles in the last California battle of the Mexican War in 1847.
Today in history, London’s Underground begins operations in 1863.
Today in history, John D. Rockefeller and his brother William establish the Standard Oil Company of Ohio in 1870.
Today in history, The Automobile Club of America installs signs on major highways. in 1901
Today in history, The world’s first flying-boat airplane, designed by Glenn Curtiss, makes its maiden flight at Hammondsport in 1912.
Today in history, In Washington, the House of Representatives passes legislation for women’s suffrage in 1918.
Today in history, Chiang Kai-shek and the Yenan Communist forces halt fighting in China in 1946.
Today in history, The United States and the Vatican establish full diplomatic relations for the first time in 117 years in 1984.
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