- 1606 – The Charter of the Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
- 1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, enters into force in Great Britain.
- 1858 – After the original Big Ben, a 14.5 tonne bell for the Palace of Westminster had cracked during testing, it is recast into the current 13.76 tonne bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
- 1912 – The Titanic leaves port in Southampton, England for her first and only voyage.
- 1916 – The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is created in New York City.
- 1953 – Warner Brothers premieres the first 3-D film from a major American studio, entitled House of Wax.