- 1702 – The Daily Courant, England’s first national daily newspaper is published for the first time.
- 1872 – Construction of the Seven Sisters Colliery, South Wales, begins; located on one of the richest coal sources in Britain.
- 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400.
- 1927 – In New York City, Samuel Roxy Rothafel opens the Roxy Theatre.
- 1941 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.
- 1999 – Infosys becomes the first Indian company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.