28 BC – A sunspot is observed by Han dynasty astronomers during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, one of the earliest dated sunspot observations in China.
1768 – John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for The North Briton severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London.
1908 – Mother's Day is observed for the first time in the United States, in Grafton, West Virginia.
1922 – The United States annexes the Kingman Reef.
1924 – J. Edgar Hoover is appointed first Director of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and remains so until his death in 1972.
1933 – Censorship: In Germany, the Nazis stage massive public book burnings.
1946 – First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground.
1948 – The Republic of China implements "temporary provisions" granting President Chiang Kai-shek extended powers to deal with the Communist uprising; they will remain in effect until 1991.
1954 – Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock," the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts.
1975 – Sony introduces the Betamax videocassette recorder in Japan.
1981 – François Mitterrand wins the presidential election and becomes the first Socialist President of France in the French Fifth Republic.
1993 – In Thailand, a fire at the Kader Toy Factory kills 156 workers.
1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first black president.
2013 – One World Trade Center becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
