1811 - Peninsular War: A French force under command of Marshal Victor is heavily defeated while trying to prevent an English-Spanish-Portuguese army from ending the Siege of Cadiz in the Battle of Barrosa.
1940 – Members of Soviet politbiuro sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 22000 Polish POW, known also as Katyn massacre.
1943 – First flight of Gloster Meteor jet aircraft in Britain.
1983 - In the oldest regular match in international rugby union, Scotland achieves its most recent away win over England to-date, winning 22-12 at Twickenham Stadium in London.
1993 – Canadiansprinter Ben Johnson is banned from international competition for life after testing positive for banned substances for the second time.
1998 – NASA announces that the Clementine probe orbiting the Moon has found enough water to support a human colony.