1839: Dueling Outlawed in DC
On February 20, 1839, Congress passed legislation barring the practice of dueling in the District of Columbia.
Fatal Duel Between Congressmen Prompts Ban
The passage of...
1972: Congress Passes Equal Rights Amendment
On March 22, 1972, the Senate approved the Equal Rights Amendment, which banned discrimination on the basis of sex. The amendment fell three states...
1977: Hanafi Muslim Gunmen End Siege in Washington, DC
On March 11, 1977, Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, leader of the Nation of Islam splinter group Hanafi Movement, ended a three-day siege of three buildings...
2002: The Trial of Slobodan Milosevic Begins
On February 12, 2002, the war crimes trial of Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic began at The Hague. The defendant died before a sentence was...
1991: “Birmingham Six” Freed After 16 Years in Prison
On March 14, 1991, six men wrongfully accused of carrying out Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing attacks on two Birmingham pubs were released after...
1954: Puerto Rican Nationalists Launch Assault on U.S. Congress
On March 1, 1954, Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire on the House of Representatives, injuring five congressmen.
Nationalists Attack Congress
Three members of the Puerto Rico...
1962: Soviets Release U-2 Pilot Francis Gary Powers
On February 10, 1962, U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was returned to the United States in a prisoner exchange. Powers had been...
44 B.C.: Julius Caesar Assassinated
On March 15, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators hoping to restore the Roman republic.
Caesar Murdered on the Ides...
1964: Kitty Genovese Killed
On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered in Queens, New York. An article that said 38 people ignored her screams during the attack...
1633: Galileo Faces Inquisition
On February 13, 1633, Galileo arrived in Rome to be tried for promoting Copernican theories, such as the revolutionary idea that the Earth orbits...
