763 BC: Assyrians record a solar eclipse that will be used to fix the chronology of Mesopotamian history

1215: King John signs Magna Carta at Runnymede, near Windsor, England

1775: George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, the day after Congress establishes the force

1896: Tsunami strikes Shinto festival on beach at Sanriku, Japan; 27,000 are killed, 9,000 injured and 13,000 houses destroyed

1940: World War II: France surrenders to NAZI Germany, German troops occupy Paris

1991: Climactic eruption of the Mount Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines, the second-largest volcanic eruption on Earth of the 20th century

Source: Onthisday.com