1621-Galileo perfects the telescope
1685-Charles II bars Jews from settling in Stockholm, Sweden
1818-Illinois admitted as 21st U.S. state
1910-Neon lights, first publically seen (Paris Auto Show)
1912-Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria sign weapons pact
1920-Turkey, Armenia agree to peace treaty
1930-Air-borne chemicals combine with fog to kill 60 (Meuse Valley Belgium)
1934-Italian colonial Tripoli and Cyrenaica annexed to Libya
1944-British order to disarm causes general strike in Greece
1946-U.S. government asks U.N. to order dictator Franco out of Spain
1947-Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire" premieres in New York
1948-Chinese refugee ship "Kiangya" explodes in E. China Sea, killing 1,100
1953-Eisenhower criticizes McCarthy for saying communists are in Republican party
1956-England, France pull troops out of Egypt
1961-U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site