[Jimbuna]

1812 Great Fire of Moscow begins as Napoleon approaches the city and retreating Russians burn it - fire continues to burn for five days.

1814 Francis Scott Key pens the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry," later known as "The Star-Spangled Banner," while witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a ship in Baltimore Harbour.

1856 Battle of San Jacinto at Hacienda San Jacinto, Nicaraguan forces defeat American filibusters.

1914 Lord Kitchener: "Your country needs you" appears as front cover design for the London Opinion magazine.

1939 World's first practical helicopter, the VS-300, designed by Igor Sikorsky, takes (tethered) flight in Stratford, Connecticut.

1942 US Navy Admiral Chester Nimitz presents the 1st Medal of Honor of WWII, for courage and valor beyond the call of duty during the attack on Pearl Harbor, to sailor John William Finn; ceremony took place in Pearl Harbor aboard USS Enterprise.

1950 Western allies rearm West Germany.

1971 Two British soldiers are killed in separate shooting incidents in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

2001 Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks. A similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital.