1812 - Moscow was set on fire by Russians after Napoleon Bonaparte's troops invaded.
1814 - Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star-Spangled Banner," a poem. The song became the official U.S. national anthem on March 3, 1931.
1959 - Luna II, a Soviet space probe, became the first man-made object on the moon when it crashed on the surface.
1960 - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded. The core members were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
1982 - Princess Grace of Monaco died at the age of 52 because of injuries she suffered the day before in a car crash. She was formerly actress Grace Kelly.
1984 - Joe Kittinger became the first person to fly a balloon solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1999 - Disney World closed down for the first time in its 28-year history. The closure was due to Hurricane Floyd heading for Florida.
2001 - Nintendo released the GameCube home video game console in Japan.
2001 - The FBI released the names of the 19 suspected hijackers that had taken part in the September 11 terror attacks on the U.S.