1689: Matsuo Basho, zen poet, leaves for 150 days journey on Honshu, Japan

1858: The joint reading of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace’s papers on evolution to the Linnean Society

1863: Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Lee’s northward advance halted

1867: The Dominion of Canada is formed, comprising the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario & Quebec, with John A. Macdonald serving as the first Prime Minister

1916: First day of the Battle of the Somme: the British Army suffers its worst day, losing 19,240 men (WWI)

1921: The Communist Party of China is founded and Chen Duxiu elected its leader

1997: United Kingdom returns Hong Kong and the New Territories to the People’s Republic of China

Source: Onthisday.com