On this day in 1560 the Treaty of Berwick was signed which expelled the French from Scotland and bring into effect the Scottish Reformation.

In France on this day in 1594, King Henry IV was crowned as the country’s ruler.

In 1617, the Treaty of Stolbovo was signed between Sweden and Russia bringing an end to the Ingrian War between the two countries. The treaty was designed to make trade through the Baltic Sea more difficult for the Russians with them having to pay a levy to the Swedes each time they used the waterway. Intervention from Britain and Holland gave more power to the Russians as they were an important trading ally of both countries.

Yuan Chonghuan was appointed as the Governor of Liaodong after he led his Chinese forces to a victory over the Manchurians in 1626.

The island of New Britain, part of present day Papua New Guinea was discovered on this day in 1700 by William Dampier.

Manuel Belgrano raised the new Argentinean flag in the city of Rosario on this day in 1812. The city is now known as the ‘Cradle of the Argentine Flag’ and also hosts the National Flag Memorial. On the same day the English poet Lord Byron gave his first address to the House of Lords in defense of Luddite violence against the increasing industrialism at the cost of workers jobs in the textile industry.

In the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic gained its independence on this day in 1844 from Haiti.

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln made a speech in New York City at Cooper Union, that speech was believed to be largely responsible for his being elected President.

In Warsaw, Poland on this day in 1861, Russian troops open fire on a crowd of Polish protestors voicing their opposition to Russia having control over their country. Five protestors were killed in the shooting.

The flag of Japan is first adopted on this day in 1870 as the national flag, but only at sea, as the national flag for Japanese merchant shipping.

During the Second Boer War in South Africa, an unconditional notice of surrender was given to the British command on this day in 1900. The surrender of the Boers under their General Piet Cronje was after the defeat at the Battle of Paardeberg. On the same day in the UK the British Labour Party was founded.

The International Working Union of Socialist Parties was founded on this day in 1921 in the Austrian capital of Vienna.