On This Day:

1767, Java, Indonesia: Mount Merapi erupted violently, causing widespread devastation with pyroclastic flows and ash fall that buried villages.

1844, Nauvoo, Illinois: The trial of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, took place.

1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: The Battle of Gettysburg concluded, marking a turning point in the American Civil War.

1883, Prague, Czech Republic: Franz Kafka, a highly influential 20th-century writer, was born. Known for works like "The Metamorphosis" and "The Trial," Kafka's existential themes and surreal narratives have left a lasting legacy on literature and philosophy.

1884, Chicago, USA: The first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, was completed, designed by William Le Baron Jenney.

1886, Germany: Karl Benz unveiled the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, considered the first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine.

1962, USA: Dr. Ronald Malt performed the first successful reattachment of a severed limb at Massachusetts General Hospital.

1969, Wimbledon, England: American tennis player Rod Laver won the men's singles final, securing his second Grand Slam.

2001, Seattle, Washington: Microsoft released Windows XP, a highly successful operating system with a user-friendly interface and improved stability.

2013, Vancouver, Canada: The first Bitcoin ATM was installed, allowing users to exchange Bitcoin for cash and vice versa.