In 1453, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, fell to the Turks.
In 1765, Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia's House of Burgesses. Responding to a cry of
"Treason!" Henry replied, "If this be treason, make the most of it!"
In 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th and final original colony to ratify the U.S. constitution.
In 1988, Ronald Reagan became the first U.S. president in 14 years to visit Moscow. Officials reported that Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev engaged in a heated discussion on human rights.