| On this date in: |
| 1776 |
British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution. |
| 1821 |
Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador became independent from Spain. |
| 1857 |
William Howard Taft, the 27th president who later served as chief justice, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. |
| 1917 |
Russia was proclaimed a republic by Alexander Kerensky, the head of a provisional government. |
| 1935 |
The Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship and made the swastika the official symbol of Nazi Germany. |
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| AP Photo/Huntington Library |
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| 1940 |
The Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses on the Luftwaffe as the tide turned in the Battle of Britain during World War II. |
| 1950 |
During the Korean War, United Nations forces landed at Inchon in the south and began their drive toward Seoul. |
| 1982 |
The first edition of the USA Today newspaper was published. |
| 2000 |
The Summer Olympics opened in Sydney, Australia. |
| 2001 |
President George W. Bush identified Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and told Americans to prepare for a long, difficult war against terrorism. |
| 2004 |
National Hockey League owners agreed to lock out the players. (The 2004-05 season was eventually canceled.) |
| 2005 |
President George W. Bush, addressing the nation from storm-ravaged New Orleans, acknowledged the government failed to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina and urged Congress to approve a massive reconstruction program. |
| 2008 |
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection – the largest in U.S. history. |
