- 1990 – Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland’s first popularly elected president.
- 1991 – The body of Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, an American hostage murdered by his captors, was found along a highway in Lebanon.
- 1996 – A car bomb exploded in Belfast, injuring a known IRA supporter. Police suspected that Protestant loyalists were responsible for the attack.
- 1998 – A unit of RJR Nabsico pled guilty to attempting to smuggle cigarettes into Canada.
- 2001 – Thirty Afghans, including two women, were sworn in as part of the new interim government in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai was the head of the post-Taliban government.
- 2008 – An ash dike ruptured at a solid waste containment area in Roane County, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion US gallons (4,200,000 m3) of coal fly ash slurry.
- 2010 – The repeal of the Don’t ask, don’t tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the United States military, is signed into law by President Barack Obama.
- 2012 – Bashir Ahmad Bilour of Awami National Party and eight others are killed in a Pakistan Taliban bomber suicide attack in Dhaki Nalbandi area near Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
- 2016 – A study finds the VSV-EBOV vaccine against the Ebola virus between 70 and 100% effective, and thus making it the first proven vaccine against the disease.
- 2017 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397 against North Korea is unanimously approved.
- 2018 – A tsunami caused by an eruption of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia killed at least 430 people and injured almost a thousand more.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Marina Kuptsova, Russian high jumper
- 1982 – Britta Heidemann, German fencer
- 1982 – Rodney Martin, American sprinter
- 1982 – Alinne Moraes, Brazilian actress and model
- 1983 – Ryan Eversley, American race car driver
- 1983 – Drew Hankinson, American wrestler
- 1983 – Viola Kibiwot, Kenyan runner
- 1983 – José Fonte, Portuguese footballer
- 1984 – Basshunter, Swedish singer, record producer and DJ
- 1986 – Dennis Armfield, Australian footballer
- 1986 – Fatih Öztürk, Turkish footballer
- 1987 – Éder, Bissau-Portuguese footballer
- 1987 – Johannes Ahun, Estonian windsurfer
- 1988 – Leigh Halfpenny, Welsh rugby player
- 1989 – Jordin Sparks, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1989 – Jharal Yow Yeh, Australian rugby league player
- 1990 – Jean-Baptiste Maunier, French actor and singer
- 1992 – Michaela Hončová, Slovak tennis player
- 1992 – Moonbyul from Mamamoo, K-Pop star
- 1993 – David Klemmer, Australian rugby league player
- 1993 – Meghan Trainor, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1993 – Raphaël Guerreiro, Portuguese footballer
- 1994 – Rúben Lameiras, Portuguese footballer
- 1998 – G Hannelius, American actress and singer