585 BC: Solar eclipse, as predicted by Greek philosopher Thales, occurs while Lydians are at war with the Medes and leads to a truce. It is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates are calculated.

1431: Joan of Arc is accused of relapsing into heresy by donning male clothing again, providing justification for her execution

1588: King Philip II dispatches the Spanish Armada under the Duke of Medina-Sidonia from Lisbon, Portugal, to invade England

1830: US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears

1936: Alan Turing submits “On Computable Numbers” for publication, in which he sets out the theoretical basis for modern computers

1972: White House “plumbers” first break in at the Democratic National Headquarters and install listening devices at Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C.

Source: Onthisday.com