660 BC - Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
1809 - Robert Fulton patents steamboat
1814 - Norway's independence proclaimed
1895 - -17°F (-27.2°C) in Braemar, Grampian (UK record)
1895 - Georgetown became part of Washington, D.C.
1929 - Vatican City (world's smallest country) made an enclave of Rome
1970 - Japan becomes 4th nation to put a satellite (Osumi) in orbit
1997 - Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off for mission STS-82 to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
