1835 – A mentally ill man named Richard Lawrence attempts to assassinatePresidentAndrew Jackson in the United States Capitol—the first assassination attempt against a President. Both of Lawrence's pistols misfire, and Jackson proceeds to beat his would-be assassin with his cane.
1889 – Archduke Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown, is found dead with his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera in Mayerling. How they died remains a mystery.
2005 – Amid violence and threats to boycott the results, Iraq holds an election for its National Assembly, the country's first free election since 1953.