1700-Russia begins using the Anno Domini era and no longer uses the Anno Mundi era of the Byzantine Empire
1775-English potter Josiah Wedgwood writes that he has developed his famous 'wedgwood blue' color in a letter to Thomas Bentley
1788-Quakers in Pennsylvania emancipate their slaves
1896-German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of x-rays
1912-Sun Yat-sen forms the Republic of China
1928-First U.S. air-conditioned office building opens, San Antonio
1939-Hewlett-Packard is founded by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in a garage in Palo Alto, California "the birthplace of Silicon Valley"
1985-U.S.'s first mandatory seat belt law goes into effect (NY)
1993-Czechoslovakia separates into Czech Republic (Bohemia) & Slovakia