#OnThisDay in 1960 – American physicist Theodore Maiman operated the first working laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

#OnThisDay in 1975 – Japanese climber Junko Tabei (pictured) became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Today is also known as International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

#OnThisDay in 1590 – Anne of Denmark (pictured) was crowned queen consort of Scotland in a ceremony at Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh.

#OnThisDay in 1863 – American Civil War: at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge in Mississippi, Union forces under John McClernand defeated a Confederate rearguard, capturing around 1,700 men.

#OnThisDay in 1900 – The first copies of the children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum were printed.

#OnThisDay in 1954 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools because "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and therefore unconstitutional.

#OnThisDay in 1987 – An Iraqi jet aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the American frigate USS Stark leaving 37 personnel of the warship dead and 21 others injured.

Today is also known as Global Accessibility Awareness Day (2023) and Haitian Flag Day in Haiti (1803) and Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Crimean Tatar Genocide in Ukraine

#OnThisDay in 1388 – At the Battle of Buir Lake, a Ming Chinese army led by general Lan Yu defeated the forces of Tögüs Temür, the Mongol khan of Northern Yuan.

#OnThisDay in 1936 – In a crime that captivated Japan, Sada Abe (pictured) strangled her lover, cut off his genitals, and carried them around with her for several days until her arrest.

#OnThisDay in 1952 – First Indochina War: Viet Minh forces overran a French and Laotian garrison at Muong Khoua, leaving only four survivors.

#OnThisDay in 1965 – Eli Cohen, a spy who is credited with gathering significant intelligence used by Israel during the Six-Day War, was publicly hanged in Syria.

#OnThisDay in 1996 – Ireland won the Eurovision song contest for the seventh time, the highest number of wins for any country before Sweden tied it in 2023.

Today is also known as Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Turkey (1919) and Sanja Matsuri begins in Tokyo, Japan (2023)

#OnThisDay in 1776 – American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison west of Montreal surrendered to British troops at the Battle of the Cedars.

#OnThisDay in 1845 – Captain John Franklin (pictured) departed Greenhithe, England, on an expedition to the Canadian Arctic in search of the Northwest Passage; all 129 men were later lost when their ships became icebound in Victoria Strait.

#OnThisDay in 1915 – First World War: Australian and New Zealand troops repelled the third attack on Anzac Cove, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking Ottoman forces.

#OnThisDay in 1991 – Breakup of Yugoslavia: With the local Serb population boycotting the referendum, Croatians voted in favour of independence from Yugoslavia.

#OnThisDay in 2015 – A corroded pipeline near Refugio State Beach, California, spilled 142,800 gallons (3,400 barrels) of crude oil onto the Gaviota Coast.