Today:
1282: The people of Sicily rebel against King Charles I in the revolt known as the Sicilian Vespers.
1822: The Florida Territory is officially created in the United States.
1842: Dr. Crawford Long becomes the first person to use ether anesthesia during a surgical procedure.
1856: The Treaty of Paris is signed, effectively ending the Crimean War.
1858: Hyman Lipman receives a patent for the first pencil with an attached eraser.
1867: U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signs the agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
1870: The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to vote regardless of race, is formally adopted.
1964: The popular game show Jeopardy!, created by Merv Griffin, makes its television debut on NBC.
1981: U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. outside a hotel in Washington, D.C.
2002: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother dies peacefully in her sleep at the age of 101.