- 659: death of Gertrude of Nivelles, saint and first abbess of the Benedictine abbey of Nivelles
- 1822: death of Lieven Bauwens (pictured), early industrial spy
- 1862: birth of Silvio Gesell, theoretical economist, social activist, anarchist and founder of Freiwirtschaft
- 1948: the Treaty of Brussels is signed, creating the Western European Union (WEU) between Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Luxemburg, and the United Kingdom