Today:
1492 – Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain, on his first voyage to the New World.
1778 – La Scala opera house opens in Milan, Italy.
1914 – Germany declares war on France at the onset of World War I.
1923 – Calvin Coolidge is sworn in as the 30th President of the United States after the death of Warren G. Harding.
1940 – World War II: Italian forces begin the invasion of British Somaliland.
1946 – Santa Claus Land, the world’s first themed amusement park, opens in Santa Claus, Indiana.
1958 – The nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels beneath the Arctic ice cap.
1981 – A nationwide strike by air traffic controllers begins in the United States.
1997 – The tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, Auckland’s Sky Tower, opens in New Zealand.
2004 – The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed following the September 11 attacks.
Disclaimer: Snake does not fact check these items. In fact, he doesn’t even read them before posting. Often he doesn’t read them after posting. If you have a complaint, click here