612 BC: Fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians and the forces of Medes, leads to the sack of one of the greatest cities in the world, the destruction of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and the death of King Sinsharishkun [date approximate]

610: Traditional date of Laylat al-Qadr / Night of Power when Muslims believe the Quran is first sent down from heaven to the world and revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad

1497: Explorer John Cabot tells King Henry VII of his trip to “Asia”

1675: King Charles II and John Flamsteed lay the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London

1846: US Act of Congress passes establishment of the Smithsonian Institution, now the world’s largest museum and research complex

Source: Onthisday.com