215 BC: A temple dedicated to Venus Erycina is built on Capitoline Hill to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene

1014: King Brian Boru of Ireland defeats Viking forces at the Battle of Clontarf, freeing Ireland from foreign control

1597: William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance

1861: Robert E. Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces (US Civil War)

1968: First decimal coins issued in Britain, the 5 and 10 new pence, replacing the shilling and two-shilling pieces

1984: AIDS-virus identified as HTLV-III (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

Source: Onthisday.com