Today:
1. 1876: Alexander Graham Bell makes the first successful telephone call to his assistant, Thomas Watson, saying, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”
2. 1910: The first international women’s conference takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, focusing on women’s suffrage.
3. 1959: Tibetans revolt against Chinese rule, leading to the Dalai Lama fleeing to India.
4. 1969: James Earl Ray pleads guilty to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
5. 1985: The Soviet Union announces Mikhail Gorbachev as the new leader, marking the beginning of a new era of Soviet politics.
6. 2000: The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5,048.62 during the dot-com bubble.
7. 2006: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at Mars, beginning its mission to explore the planet.
8. 2015: Terry Pratchett, English author known for his Discworld series, passes away.
9. 2019: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes shortly after takeoff, leading to the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max aircraft worldwide.
10. 2020: The World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic.