On this day in 1429, French military leader and heroine Joan of Arc entered Orleans, France, and defeated English forces. She was later tried for heresy and witchcraft and was burned at the stake in Rouen.
On this day in 1661, Cheng Cheng-kung, also known as Koxinga, claimed Taiwan from the Dutch and chose Anping (present-day Tainan) as his capital, in the hope of returning to mainland China one day to restore the Ming dynasty. He was seen as a national hero in Taiwan.
On this day in 1957, the first nuclear reactor went into operation in the United States.
On this day in 1980, Alfred Hitchcock, the British-born film director and the master of suspense, died in Los Angeles at the age of 80.
On this day in 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton got married at Westminster Abbey.