🎯 In 451, the Battle of Chalons saw Roman general Flavius Aetius and his allies halt Attila the Hun’s advance, marking one of the last major battles of the Western Roman Empire. ⚔️

🔥 In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire devastated the city, killing around 300 people and leaving over 100,000 homeless, leading to a significant rebuilding effort. 🏙️

🌲 In 1871, the Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin became the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history, killing up to 2,500 people and destroying 1.2 million acres of forest. 🌪️

⚔️ In 1912, the First Balkan War erupted as Montenegro declared war on the Ottoman Empire, with other Balkan states soon joining to drive the Ottomans out of Europe. 🌍

🔥 In 1922, the Great Fire of Smyrna destroyed much of the city, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Greeks and Armenians after the city’s recapture by Turkish forces. 🏚️

🍽️ In 1945, Percy Spencer patented the microwave oven, a groundbreaking invention that transformed cooking after being discovered during radar research. 🚀

⚾ In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history, leading the New York Yankees to victory in Game 5 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. 🏆

🛑 In 1967, revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara was captured in Bolivia while leading a failed insurgency to incite a revolution. ✊

💥 In 2001, U.S. and British forces launched airstrikes on Taliban-controlled areas in Afghanistan, beginning military actions in response to the 9/11 attacks. 🛫

💡 In 2014, Japanese scientists Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura were awarded the Nobel Prize for their invention of energy-efficient blue LEDs. 🌟