Battle of Badr: a key battle between Muhammad's army - the new followers of Islam and the Quraysh of Mecca. The Muslims won this battle, known as the turning point of Islam, which took place in the Hejaz region of western Arabia.

Battle of BadrMuhammadQurayshMeccaHejaz

The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople.

Saint NicephorusChurch of the Holy ApostlesConstantinople

Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.

AntipopeAntipope Victor IV (1138)Antipope Anacletus II

The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War, commences.

Battle of OosterweelEighty Years' War

Battle of Tondibi: In Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty led by Judar Pasha defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.

Battle of TondibiMaliMoroccoSaadi dynastySonghai Empire

Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.

Harvard CollegeJohn Harvard (clergyman)

Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.

NojpeténItza peopleConquistadorSpanish conquest of Guatemala

William Herschel discovers Uranus.

William HerschelUranus

Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in a coup d'état.

Gustav IV Adolf of SwedenCoup d'état

Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.

Felix MendelssohnViolin Concerto (Mendelssohn)LeipzigFerdinand David (musician)

American Civil War: The U.S. federal government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

American Civil WarFederal government of the United StatesUnion (American Civil War)Fugitive Slave Act of 1850Emancipation Proclamation

American Civil War: The Confederate States of America agree to the use of African-American troops.

Confederate States of AmericaAfrican-American

Alexander II of Russia is killed near his palace when a bomb is thrown at him (this is the Gregorian date; it was March 1 in the Julian calendar then in use in Russia).

Alexander II of RussiaJulian calendar

The Siege of Khartoum begins. It lasts until January 26, 1885.

Siege of Khartoum

Second Boer War: British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State.

Second Boer WarBloemfonteinOrange Free State

The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.

Kapp PutschWeimar Republic

Mongolia is proclaimed an independent monarchy, ruled by Russian military officer Roman von Ungern-Sternberg as a dictator.

MongoliaRoman von Ungern-Sternberg

The news of the discovery of Pluto is telegraphed to the Harvard College Observatory.

PlutoHarvard College Observatory

Great Depression: Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after President Franklin D. Roosevelt mandates a "bank holiday".

Great DepressionPresident of the United StatesFranklin D. RooseveltBank holiday

The Russo-Finnish Winter War ends.

Winter War

The Holocaust: German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.

The HolocaustNazi GermanyKraków Ghetto

First Indochina War: Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp unleashed a massive artillery barrage on the French to begin the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, the climactic battle in the First Indochina War.

First Indochina WarViet MinhVõ Nguyên GiápBattle of Dien Bien Phu

Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.

CubaMuseum of the Revolution (Cuba)HavanaList of Presidents of CubaFulgencio Batista

Lyman Lemnitzer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivers a proposal, called Operation Northwoods, regarding performing terrorist attacks upon Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The proposal is scrapped and President John F. Kennedy removes Lemnitzer from his position.

Lyman LemnitzerJoint Chiefs of StaffOperation NorthwoodsTerrorist attacksGuantanamo Bay Naval Base

Apollo program: Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.

Apollo programApollo 9EarthApollo Lunar Module

The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts Prime Minister Eric Gairy in a nearly bloodless coup d'état in Grenada.

New Jewel MovementMaurice BishopPrime Minister of GrenadaEric GairyCoup d'état

The Kenilworth Road riot takes place at an association football match at Kenilworth Road in Luton, England with disturbances before, during and after an FA Cup 6th Round tie between Luton Town F.C. and Millwall F.C..

1985 Kenilworth Road riotKenilworth RoadLutonFA CupLuton Town F.C.

The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.

Seikan TunnelAomori, AomoriHakodate, Hokkaido

The United States Department of Justice announces that Exxon has agreed to pay $1 billion for the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

United States Department of JusticeExxonExxon Valdez oil spill

The Mw 6.7 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). At least 498 were killed in this strike-slip event on the North Anatolian Fault.

1992 Erzincan earthquakeTurkeyMercalli intensity scaleNorth Anatolian Fault