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...
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...
1943: United States Defeats Japan at Guadalcanal
On February 9, 1943, the United States declared victory against Japan in the seven-month World War II campaign for Guadalcanal and nearby islands in...
1960: South African Police Open Fire on Crowd in Sharpeville Massacre
On March 21, 1960, South African police fired into a crowd of black protesters who had surrounded a police station in Sharpeville, killing 69...
1942: Roosevelt Authorizes Internment of Japanese-Americans
On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the military to relocate Japanese-Americans from their homes to internment...
1872: Susan B. Anthony Votes in Presidential Election
On Nov. 5, 1872, 48 years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony and a...
1937: President Roosevelt Proposes “Court-Packing” Plan
On February 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Congress with legislation intended to manufacture Supreme Court approval for his New Deal.
“Court-Packing” Bill Fails...
On This Day: Charles Whitman Carries Out Sniper Attack From University of Texas Tower
Charles Whitman had been a model citizen before the rampage. One of the youngest Boy Scouts ever to earn Eagle Scout honors, he joined...
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...
1989: Exxon Valdez Wreck Causes Massive Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, causing 11 million gallons of oil to...
