Today:
1. 1814: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates the throne of France, leading to his exile on the island of Elba.
2. 1865: President Abraham Lincoln delivers his last public speech, advocating for voting rights for African Americans.
3. 1900: The U.S. Navy’s first modern battleship, the USS Kentucky, is launched in Newport News, Virginia.
4. 1921: The Emirate of Transjordan is established under the leadership of Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, who later becomes the first King of Jordan.
5. 1951: President Harry Truman fires General Douglas MacArthur from his command in the Korean War, sparking controversy and debate.
6. 1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibiting discrimination in housing.
7. 1970: Apollo 13, the third manned mission intended to land on the Moon, experiences an oxygen tank explosion, leading to a dramatic rescue mission and safe return to Earth.
8. 1976: The Apple I, the first computer designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak, is released, marking the beginning of Apple Inc.
9. 1981: The Space Shuttle Columbia, the first space-rated orbiter in NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet, launches on its maiden flight, STS-1.
10. 2006: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces that Iran has successfully enriched uranium, raising concerns about the country’s nuclear program and international relations.