Uruguay gained independence from Brazil, which is now celebrated as a National Holiday for Uruguayans.
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Alicia Thornton became the first British female jockey after taking part in a horse race at York Racecourse in Knavesmire, England.
Astronomer Galileo demonstrated one of his earlier telescopes to Venetian lawmakers.
A Japanese scientist, Shibasaburo Kitasato, isolated the bacterium of the Bubonic Plague.
NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space, becoming the first artificial object to do so.
Nintendo released the first-person shooter, GoldenEye 007, for the Nintendo 64.