1965

Minister and civil rights activist Malcolm X, 39, was shot to death inside Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom in New York. (Three men identified as members of the Nation of Islam were convicted of murder and imprisoned; all were eventually paroled. The convictions of two of the men were dismissed in November 2021; prosecutors said new evidence had undermined the case against them.)

1972

President Richard M. Nixon began his historic visit to China as he and his wife, Pat, arrived in Beijing.

1973

Israeli fighter planes shot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 over the Sinai Desert, killing all but five of the 113 people on board.

1995

Chicago adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean by balloon, landing in Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada.

2020

A temporary truce between the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan took effect, setting the stage for the two sides to sign a peace deal the following week.

Birthdays

Actor Kelsey Grammer is 69. Rock musician Michael Ward is 57. Actor Jennifer Love Hewitt is 45. Comedian-actor Jordan Peele is 45. Actor Ashley Greene is 37. Actor Elliot Page is 37. Actor Corbin Bleu is 35. Actor Sophie Turner is 28.