1429-Joan of Arc arrives at the siege of Orleans
1639-Mughal Emperor Shan Jahan founds his new capital city Shahjahanabad (modern Old Delhi)
1661-Chinese Ming dynasty occupies Taiwan
1769-Scottish engineer James Watt's patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser enrolled (Patent 913)
1834-Charles Darwin's expedition sees the top of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia
1852-First edition of Peter Roget's Thesaurus published in Great Britain
1975-Vietnam War: US begins to evacuate its citizens from Saigon in Operation Frequent Wind in response to advancing North Vietnamese forces, bringing an end to US involvement in the war
1992-Jury acquits Los Angeles Police Department officers on charges of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King; the decision sparks massive riots in the city