- 1991 – The hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended. The uprising that led to the collapse was led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.
- 1992 – NBC News fired Authur Kent two weeks after he refused an assignment to war-torn Croatia.
- 1993 – NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. The fate of the spacecraft was unknown. The mission cost $980 million.
- 1994 – Ernesto Zedillo won the Mexican presidential election.
- 1996 – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was signed by U.S. President Clinton. The act made it easier to obtain and keep health insurance.
- 1997 – Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in U.S. history.
- 1997 – Afghanistan suspended its embassy operations in the United States.
- 1997 – Cicely Tyson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1998 – Wesley Snipes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2002 – In Pakistan, President General Pervez Musharraf unilaterally amended the Pakistani constitution. He extended his term in office and granted himself powers that included the right to dissolve parliament.
- 2003 – In Ghana, businessman Gyude Bryant was selected to oversee the two-year power-sharing accord between Liberia’s rebels and the government. The accord was planned to guide the country out of 14 years of civil war.
- 2013 – Hundreds of people are reported killed by chemical attacks in the Ghouta region of Syria.
- 2017 – A solar eclipse traverses the continental United States.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Jarrod Lyle, Australian golfer (d. 2018)
- 1981 – Cameron Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU
- 1981 – Tyler Winklevoss, American rower and businessman, co-founded ConnectU
- 1981 – Ross Thomas, American actor
- 1982 – Jason Eaton, New Zealand rugby player
- 1982 – Omar Sachedina, Canadian television journalist, correspondent, and news anchor
- 1983 – Scott McDonald, Australian footballer
- 1984 – Neil Dexter, South African cricketer
- 1984 – Melvin Upton, Jr., American baseball player
- 1985 – Nicolás Almagro, Spanish tennis player
- 1985 – Aleksandra Kiryashova, Russian pole vaulter
- 1986 – Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter
- 1986 – Wout Brama, Dutch footballer
- 1986 – Koki Sakamoto, Japanese gymnast
- 1988 – Robert Lewandowski, Polish footballer
- 1988 – Kacey Musgraves, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1989 – Charlison Benschop, Dutch footballer
- 1989 – James Davey, English rugby league player
- 1989 – Matteo Gentili, Italian footballer
- 1989 – Hayden Panettiere, American actress
- 1989 – Aleix Vidal, Spanish footballer
- 1990 – Bo Burnham, American comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker and poet
- 1991 – Leandro Bacuna, Dutch footballer
- 1992 – Felipe Nasr, Brazilian race car driver
- 2000 – Kate Valdez, Filipina actress and singer