Today:
1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sights what is now Florida.
1792 – The Coinage Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, establishing the U.S. Mint.
1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven premieres his First Symphony in Vienna.
1865 – Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his government flee the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia.
1917 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany, leading to American involvement in World War I.
1932 – Charles Lindbergh pays a ransom of $50,000 in a futile attempt to retrieve his kidnapped son.
1982 – Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, beginning the Falklands War.
1992 – Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted on multiple charges, including murder and racketeering.
2005 – Pope John Paul II dies at the age of 84.
2011 – A NATO airstrike mistakenly kills 13 Libyan rebels during the Libyan Civil War.