1945-Allies refuse Japan's offer to surrender on the condition that Emperor Hirohito retains his status
1954-Formal peace treaty ends over 7 yrs of fighting in Indochina between the French and the Communist Viet Minh
1988-Al-Qaeda formed at a meeting between Osama Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Dr Fadl in Peshawar, Pakistan
2003-NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year history
2003-A heat wave in Paris results in temperatures rising to 112°F (44° C), leaving about 144 people dead.