King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".

Francis I of FranceJean-François RobervalNew France

Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London, England.

Elizabeth I of EnglandList of English monarchsWestminster Abbey

Truce of Yam-Zapolsky: Russia cedes Livonia to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Truce of Yam-ZapolskyLivoniaPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The British Museum opens.

British Museum

American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present-day Vermont) declares its independence.

American Revolutionary WarVermont RepublicVermont

Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.

Robert Morris (financier)United States CongressMint (coin)Coin

War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.

War of 1812USS President (1800)Commodore (rank)Stephen DecaturCapture of USS President

Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.

Greek War of IndependenceDemetrios Ypsilantis

University of Notre Dame receives its charter from the state of Indiana.

University of Notre DameIndiana

American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.

American Civil WarFort FisherNorth CarolinaSecond Battle of Fort Fisher

A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).

Political cartoonDemocratic Party (United States)DonkeyFile:Democraticjackass.jpgThomas Nast

The first newspaper in Afrikaans, Die Afrikaanse Patriot, is published in Paarl.

AfrikaansDie Afrikaanse PatriotPaarl

The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta.

The Coca-Cola CompanyIncorporation (business)Atlanta

James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.

James NaismithBasketball

The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.

Alpha Kappa AlphaFraternities and sororities in North AmericaAfrican American

Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft (99 m).

Buffalo Bill DamWyoming

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of the Spartacist uprising.

Rosa LuxemburgKarl LiebknechtSocialismFreikorpsSpartacist uprising

Great Molasses Flood: A wave of molasses released from an exploding storage tank sweeps through Boston, Massachusetts, killing 21 and injuring 150.

Great Molasses FloodMolassesBoston

The 8.0 Mw Nepal-Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing an estimated 6,000-10,700 people.

1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquakeNepalBiharMercalli intensity scale

The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.

Owens-IllinoisToledo, Ohio

Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.

Spanish Civil WarFrancoist SpainSecond Spanish RepublicSecond Battle of the Corunna Road

World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.

World War IIBattle of Voronezh (1943)

The Pentagon is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.

The PentagonArlington, Virginia

The Black Dahlia murder: the dismembered corpse of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles.

Black Dahlia

Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government.

Chinese Civil WarCommunist Party of ChinaPingjin CampaignTianjin

The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.

Derveni papyrus

Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.

Netherlands New GuineaIndonesian NavyYos SudarsoArafura SeaDutch Navy

The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d'état.

First Nigerian RepublicAbubakar Tafawa Balewa1966 Nigerian coup d'état

The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10.

Super BowlLos AngelesGreen Bay PackersKansas City Chiefs

Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but rules for only three months before committing suicide.

OthoRoman emperor