Maya king Yuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk' assumes the crown of Calakmul.

Maya civilizationYuknoom Yich'aak K'ahk'Calakmul

King Louis the Pious captures Barcelona from the Moors after a siege of several months.

Louis the PiousBarcelonaMoorsSiege

Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England.

Edward the ConfessorKing of England

The first Parliament of Friuli is created.

ParliamentFriuli

The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis treaty is signed, ending the Italian Wars.

Peace of Cateau-CambrésisItalian Wars

The generals in the Greek War of Independence stand trial for treason.

Greek War of IndependenceTreason

The first successful United States Pony Express run from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, begins.

Pony ExpressSt. Joseph, MissouriSacramento, California

American Civil War: Union forces capture Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America.

American Civil WarUnion (American Civil War)Richmond, VirginiaConfederate States of America

American Old West: Robert Ford kills Jesse James.

American Old WestRobert Ford (outlaw)Jesse James

Gottlieb Daimler is granted a German patent for his engine design.

Gottlieb DaimlerPatentEngine

The first of eleven unsolved brutal murders of women committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London, occurs.

Whitechapel murdersWhitechapelEast End of London

The trial in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde begins, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.

LibelOscar WildeHomosexuality

Joseph Stalin becomes the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Joseph StalinGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

First flight over Mount Everest, a British expedition, led by the Marquis of Clydesdale, and funded by Lucy, Lady Houston.

Mount EverestDouglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonLucy, Lady Houston

Bruno Richard Hauptmann is executed for the kidnapping and death of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., the baby son of pilot Charles Lindbergh.

Bruno Richard HauptmannLindbergh kidnappingCharles Lindbergh

World War II: Japanese forces begin an assault on the United States and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula.

World War IIEmpire of JapanCommonwealth of the PhilippinesBattle of Bataan

Japanese Lt. General Masaharu Homma is executed in the Philippines for leading the Bataan Death March.

Lt. GeneralMasaharu HommaBataan Death March

United States President Harry S. Truman signs the Marshall Plan, authorizing $5 billion in aid for 16 countries.

Harry S. TrumanMarshall Plan

In Jeju Province, South Korea, a civil-war-like period of violence and human rights abuses begins, known as the Jeju uprising.

Jeju ProvinceSouth KoreaHuman rights abusesJeju Uprising

The American Civil Liberties Union announces it will defend Allen Ginsberg's book Howl against obscenity charges.

American Civil Liberties UnionAllen GinsbergHowlObscenity

Hudsonville-Standale tornado: The western half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is struck by a deadly F5 tornado.

Hudsonville-Standale tornado of April 1956Lower Peninsula of MichiganFujita scale

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech.

Martin Luther King Jr.I've Been to the Mountaintop

Vietnam War: United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announces that the United States will start to "Vietnamize" the war effort.

Vietnam WarUnited States Secretary of DefenseMelvin LairdVietnamization

Martin Cooper of Motorola makes the first handheld mobile phone call to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.

Martin Cooper (inventor)MotorolaHistory of mobile phonesJoel S. EngelBell Labs

The 1974 Super Outbreak occurs, the second biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history (after the 2011 Super Outbreak). The death toll is 315, with nearly 5,500 injured.

1974 Super Outbreak2011 Super Outbreak

Bobby Fischer refuses to play in a chess match against Anatoly Karpov, giving Karpov the title of World Champion by default.

Bobby FischerChessAnatoly Karpov

The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, is unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco.

Osborne 1Portable computerWest Coast Computer FaireSan Francisco

Suspected "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski is captured at his Montana cabin in the United States.

Theodore KaczynskiMontana

The Thalit massacre begins in Algeria; all but one of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.

Thalit massacreAlgeriaThalit

United States v. Microsoft Corp.: Microsoft is ruled to have violated United States antitrust law by keeping "an oppressive thumb" on its competitors.

United States v. Microsoft Corp.MicrosoftUnited States antitrust law