656: Ali ibn Abu Talib elected the 4th Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate

1527: Pánfilo de Narváez departs Spain to explore Florida with five ships and 600 men; by 1536, only four men are still alive

1590: depiction of Francis Drake’s landing in what he called New Albion, now northern CaliforniaFrancis Drake Lands in California

1579: English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at Drakes Bay, names it “New Albion” [1]

1631: Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal

1789: French Revolution: During the meeting of the Estates-General, the Third Estate proclaims itself the ‘National Assembly’

1837: Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent

1856: Republican Party opens its first national convention, party members meet in Philadelphia

Source: Onthisday.com