1806: Lewis and Clark Expedition: The Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the Pacific Ocean, completing their historic journey across the United States.
1849: The first edition of the New York Times is published.
1918: First woman elected to the US House of Representatives: Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman elected to the US House of Representatives.
1933: The Reichstag Fire occurs in Germany, leading to the consolidation of power by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
1942: The Battle of Bataan ends in the Philippines as American and Filipino forces surrender to the Japanese invaders.
1965: The Gemini 3 spacecraft is launched from Cape Kennedy, carrying astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and John Young.
1979: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
1982: The Guatemalan Civil War begins.
1983: President Ronald Reagan announces the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars."
1989: The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs aground in Alaska's Prince William Sound, causing a massive oil spill.
1991: The multi-party referendum is held in the Soviet Union, leading to the dissolution of the USSR.
2001: The Russian space station Mir is deorbited and crashes in the Pacific Ocean, ending its 15-year mission.
2003: The United States, along with coalition forces, invades Iraq with the stated goal of overthrowing the regime of Saddam Hussein.
2010: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly known as Obamacare, is signed into law by President Barack Obama.
2016: Terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium, leave 32 people dead and hundreds injured.