Today:
1. 1687: French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle was murdered by his own men while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, leading to the failure of his expedition.
2. 1812: The United States Congress authorized the issue of $22 million in interest-bearing Treasury notes, marking the first time the U.S. government issued paper money.
3. 1916: Eight Curtiss JN-3 “Jenny” aircraft took off from Columbus, New Mexico, to pursue Pancho Villa, marking the first combat use of American military aircraft.
4. 1920: The United States Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles for the second time, refusing to join the League of Nations.
5. 1931: Nevada legalized gambling, paving the way for the development of Las Vegas as a major gaming destination.
6. 1945: Adolf Hitler issued the “Nero Decree,” ordering the destruction of German infrastructure to prevent its use by advancing Allied forces.
7. 1979: The United States House of Representatives began broadcasting its proceedings on a cable television network, C-SPAN.
8. 2003: The Iraq War began with the invasion of Iraq by a coalition led by the United States, aiming to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime and eliminate weapons of mass destruction.
9. 2011: The Syrian Civil War began with a series of protests against the government of Bashar al-Assad in the city of Daraa.
10. 2018: The Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared a state of emergency in response to ongoing protests against his government’s economic policies.