Mississippi officially ratified the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, 148 years after it was passed. The delay highlighted historical and administrative complexities.
📍 Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone at Macworld in San Francisco, revolutionizing smartphones and transforming mobile communication, computing, and global culture.
📍 San Francisco, California, United States
The Soviet Union launched Luna 21 to deliver the Lunokhod 2 rover to the Moon. It became one of the most successful robotic missions in lunar exploration history.
📍 Baikonur Cosmodrome, USSR
Former U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon announced his run for California governor, a campaign that would end in defeat and a temporary retreat from politics before his later presidency.
📍 Los Angeles, California, United States
NASA attempted to launch Relay 1, an early communications satellite, but the initial launch failed. The mission marked the beginning of efforts to develop satellite-based global communication.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
Dave Weckl, known for his innovative technique and work with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, was born. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in modern jazz fusion.
📍 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City, providing a permanent base for global diplomacy and peacekeeping efforts after World War II.
📍 New York City, United States
The final major German offensive of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge, concluded in defeat for Nazi Germany, paving the way for Allied advances into Western Europe.
📍 Ardennes, Belgium and Luxembourg
Joan Baez, renowned for her powerful voice and civil rights activism through folk music, was born. She played a major role in the 1960s protest movement alongside Bob Dylan and others.
📍 Staten Island, New York, United States
Bob Denver, best known for playing Gilligan on the classic American sitcom *Gilligan’s Island*, was born. His comedic persona became iconic in television history.
📍 New Rochelle, New York, United States
Gyula Horn, Hungarian politician who played a crucial role in opening Hungary’s borders in 1989 and hastening the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, was born.
📍 Budapest, Hungary
Lee Van Cleef, American actor known for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns like *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*, was born. He became a cult icon for his intense screen presence.
📍 Somerville, New Jersey, United States
Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States known for ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and later resigning amid the Watergate scandal, was born.
📍 Yorba Linda, California, United States
The German airship LZ 5, an early military Zeppelin, was destroyed after being torn from its moorings by a storm. The incident highlighted the fragility of early airship travel.
📍 Weilburg, Germany
Simone de Beauvoir, author of *The Second Sex* and key figure in existentialist thought and feminist philosophy, was born. Her work challenged gender roles and influenced generations.
📍 Paris, France
Emilio Aguinaldo took office as President of the First Philippine Republic, marking the first democratic republic in Asia and asserting independence from Spanish and American control.
📍 Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines
The first medical college for women in India was established in Pune, empowering women to pursue formal education in healthcare and laying the foundation for gender equality in medicine.
📍 Pune, India
Carrie Chapman Catt, an American women’s rights activist and founder of the League of Women Voters, was born. She played a pivotal role in the passage of the 19th Amendment.
📍 Ripon, Wisconsin, United States
Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet and the first woman to be awarded a Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, died. She paved the way for women in astronomy.
📍 Hanover, Germany
French balloonist Jean-Pierre Blanchard completed the first manned balloon flight in the United States, witnessed by President George Washington, sparking American interest in aeronautics.
📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States