On this day in:

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1534– English Parliament passes Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII head of the Church of England

1783 – The American Continental Army is disbanded after the end of the Revolutionary War

1838 – The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.

1852 – Emperor Meiji of Japan is born

1903 – With the encouragement of the United States, Panama separates from Colombia.

1918 – Poland declares independence from Russia.

1921 – American actor Charles Bronson is born

1954 – The first Godzilla film is released in theatres

1957 – Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit, a dog named Laika.

1986 – Iran–Contra affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.

2004 - George W. Bush wins his second term as President of the United States