626: Incident at Xuanwu Gate: Prince Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rivals, the brothers Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng, sons of Emperor Gaozu; he then forces the emperor to name him as successor to the throne

1776: Continental Congress resolves “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States”

1823: Bahia Independence Day: End of Portuguese rule in Brazil, with the final defeat of the Portuguese crown loyalists in the province of Bahia

1865: One-time Methodist Reform Church minister William Booth and his wife Catherine Booth found the East London Christian Mission, now known as The Salvation Army

1964: US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act into law

1990: 1,426 pilgrims are trampled to death after a panic in a tunnel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Source: Onthisday.com