1196 — Northern Dutch coast flooded, "Saint-Nicolaas Flood"
1240 — Mongols under Batu Khan occupy & destroy Kiev
1492 — Haiti discovered by Columbus, at Môle Saint Nicolas
1534 — Quito, Ecuador founded by Spanish
1631 — First predicted transit of Venus (Kepler) is observed
1768 — First edition of "Encyclopedia Brittanica" published (Scotland)
1862 — President Lincoln orders hanging of 39 Santee Sioux Indians
1865 — 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery
1866 — Chicago water supply tunnel 3,227 meters into Lake Michigan completed
1876 — First crematorium in U.S. begins operation, Washington PA
1877 — First sound recording made (Thomas Edison)
1912 — China votes for universal human rights
1917 — Finland declares independence from Russia (National Day)
1917 — French munitions ship "Mont Blanc" explodes in Halifax, kills 1,639+ and injures 9,000+
1921 — Anglo-Irish Treaty signed; Ireland receives dominion status; partition creates Northern Ireland
1929 — Turkey introduces female suffrage
1956 — Nelson Mandela & 156 others arrested for political activities in South Africa
1985 — U.K. joins U.S. Star Wars project
1990 — Saddam anounces release of all foreign hostages
1994 — Orange County California files for bankruptcy