1450. Kentishmen revolted against King Henry VI in Jack Cade's Rebellion.

1886. Pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invented a carbonated beverage that would later be named Coca-Cola.

1902. In Martinique Mount Pelée erupted, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survived the blast.

1919. Edward George Honey first proposed the idea of a moment of silence to commemorate The Armistice of World War I.

1945. Hundreds of Algerian civilians were killed by French Army soldiers in the Sétif massacre.

1945. Combat in Europe ended when German forces agreed to an unconditional surrender.

1945. The End of the Prague uprising, a day still celebrated as national holiday in the Czech Republic.

1984. Cpl. Denis Lortie entered the Quebec National Assembly and opened fire, killing three and wounding 13. René Jalbert, sergeant-at-arms of the assembly, succeeded in calming him, for which he will later receive the Cross of Valour.

2007. A new Northern Ireland Executive was formed under the leadership of Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party as First Minister and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin as Deputy First Minister.