1707: Acts of Union come into force, uniting England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain

1753: Publication of “Species Plantarum” by Carl Linnaeus – the formal start date of plant taxonomy adopted by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

1840: “Penny Black,” the world’s first adhesive postage stamp is issued by the United Kingdom

1886: US general strike for 8-hour working day begins

1924: German automobile manufacturers Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie begin their first joint venture, later merging into Mercedes-Benz

1931: Empire State Building opens in New York City as the world’s tallest building until the World Trade Center surpasses it in 1970

Source: Onthisday.com