Today:
1502 – Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica during his fourth and final voyage to the Americas.
1739 – The Treaty of Belgrade is signed, concluding the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739.
1809 – The Royal Opera House in London opens after being rebuilt following a fire.
1810 – Chile declares its independence from Spain, marking the start of the Chilean War of Independence.
1851 – The New York Times publishes its first issue.
1870 – The Siege of Paris begins during the Franco-Prussian War.
1927 – The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) goes on the air for the first time.
1947 – The United States National Security Act of 1947 creates the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
1973 – West Germany holds its first parliamentary elections since joining the United Nations.
1997 – The first media reports emerge regarding U.S. President Bill Clinton’s alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky.