1806 - A Spanish army repelled the British during their attempt to retake Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1811 - Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
1830 - France occupied the North African city of Algiers.
1832 - The German government began curtailing freedom of the press after German Democrats advocate a revolt against Austrian rule.
1839 - British naval forces bombarded Dingai on Zhoushan Island in China and then occupied it.
1865 - William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.
1940 - During World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke diplomatic relations.
1941 - German troops reached the Dnieper River in the Soviet Union.
1943 - The battle of Kursk began as German tanks attack the Soviet salient. It was the largest tank battle in history.
1948 - Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.
1962 - Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.
1975 - Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title when he defeated Jimmy Connors.
2002 - Former Nazi SS officer Friedrich Engel was convicted of 59 counts of murder stemming from massacre of Italian resistance fighters on May 19, 1944.