1184 BC – Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to the calculations of Eratosthenes.

1776 – The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence.

1937 – Great Purge: The Soviet Union executes eight army leaders under Joseph Stalin. That’s just one day. Over some years, he wiped out the majority of senior military leadership along with several million more people. The military thing is one reason why the USSR got its butt kicked when Germany invaded. That other several million? The Left in this country conveniently forgets them. After all, if you want an omelet, you have to break a few eggs. Stalin and his communists made Hitler look bush-league.

1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island.