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1894

Battle of the Yalu River, the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War.

Battle of the Yalu River, the largest naval engagement of the First Sino-Japanese War.

1862

American Civil War: George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac halts the first invasion of the North by Robert E. Lee…

American Civil War: George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac halts the first invasion of the North by Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia in the single-day Battle of Antietam, the bloodie�

1777

American Revolutionary War: British forces win a tactically expensive victory over the Continental Army in the First…

American Revolutionary War: British forces win a tactically expensive victory over the Continental Army in the First Battle of Saratoga.

1946

The first Cannes Film Festival is held, having been delayed for seven years due to World War II.

The first Cannes Film Festival is held, having been delayed for seven years due to World War II.

1711

The first attacks of the Tuscarora War begin in present-day North Carolina.

The first attacks of the Tuscarora War begin in present-day North Carolina.

1914

First World War: The German submarine U-9 sank three Royal Navy cruisers, resulting in approximately 1,450 deaths.

First World War: The German submarine U-9 sank three Royal Navy cruisers, resulting in approximately 1,450 deaths.

1941

SS Patrick Henry, the first of 2,710 Liberty ships built during World War II by the United States, was launched.

SS Patrick Henry, the first of 2,710 Liberty ships built during World War II by the United States, was launched.

1789

The United States Department of War first establishes a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.

The United States Department of War first establishes a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.

1918

World War I: The Battle of St Quentin Canal took place, which led to the British Fourth Army making the first breach…

World War I: The Battle of St Quentin Canal took place, which led to the British Fourth Army making the first breach of the German defensive Hindenburg Line.

1915

World War I: Radoje Ljutovac becomes the first soldier in history to shoot down an enemy aircraft with ground-to-air…

World War I: Radoje Ljutovac becomes the first soldier in history to shoot down an enemy aircraft with ground-to-air fire.

1939

Second World War: General Władysław Sikorski (pictured) became the first prime minister of the Polish…

Second World War: General Władysław Sikorski (pictured) became the first prime minister of the Polish government-in-exile.

1342

An Anglo-Breton army defeated a far larger Franco-Breton force in the first land battle of the Hundred Years' War.

An Anglo-Breton army defeated a far larger Franco-Breton force in the first land battle of the Hundred Years' War.

1918

First World War: British and Arab troops captured Damascus from the Ottoman Empire.

First World War: British and Arab troops captured Damascus from the Ottoman Empire.

1980

Michael Myers becomes the first member of either chamber of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War.

Michael Myers becomes the first member of either chamber of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War.

1951

Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops.

Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops.

1918

First World War: The Japanese merhant ship Hirano Maru was sunk by a German submarine in the Celtic Sea with the loss…

First World War: The Japanese merhant ship Hirano Maru was sunk by a German submarine in the Celtic Sea with the loss of 291 lives.

1917

First World War: The Allies devastated the German defence at the Battle of Broodseinde, prompting a crisis among…

First World War: The Allies devastated the German defence at the Battle of Broodseinde, prompting a crisis among German commanders and causing a severe loss of morale in the 4th Army.

1914

World War I: An aircraft successfully destroys another aircraft with gunfire for the first time.

World War I: An aircraft successfully destroys another aircraft with gunfire for the first time.

1573

The Spanish siege of Alkmaar ends with the first Dutch victory in the Eighty Years' War.

The Spanish siege of Alkmaar ends with the first Dutch victory in the Eighty Years' War.

1912

First Balkan War: The day after the Battle of Sarantaporo, Greek troops liberate the city of Kozani.

First Balkan War: The day after the Battle of Sarantaporo, Greek troops liberate the city of Kozani.