1530-The final decree of the Diet of Augsburg, "The Recess," is signed by Charles V and Catholic princes, reaffirming Catholic rites and principles after the departure of Protestant princes
1620-The Mayflower reaches Cape Cod and explores the coast
1805-Lewis and Clark Expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, reaches the Pacific Ocean, the first European Americans to cross the West
1863-U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg address beginning; "Four score and seven years ago..."
1942-Operation Uranus: Soviet offensive begins during the Battle of Stalingrad, 1 million Soviet soldiers encircle the German Sixth Army
1969 -Apollo 12's Charles Conrad and Alan Bean become the 3rd and 4th humans on the Moon
1985-U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time
1998-Vincent van Gogh's "Portrait of the Artist Without Beard" sells at auction for $71.5 million