James Bruce discovers what he believes to be the source of the Nile.

James BruceNile

Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Smoliani, French Marshals Victor & Oudinot defeated by Wittgenstein.

Napoleonic WarsBattle of Smoliani

Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville, is published in the USA.

Moby-DickHerman Melville

American Civil War: President Abraham Lincoln approves General Ambrose Burnside's plan to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia, leading to the Battle of Fredericksburg.

American Civil WarAbraham LincolnAmbrose BurnsideConfederate States of AmericaRichmond, Virginia

Pioneering female journalist Nellie Bly (aka Elizabeth Cochrane) begins a successful attempt to travel around the world in less than 80 days. She completes the trip in 72 days.

Nellie Bly

Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performs the first takeoff from a ship in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He took off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss pusher.

AviatorEugene Burton ElyTakeoffHampton RoadsVirginia

Czechoslovakia becomes a republic.

Czechoslovakia

Foundation of the Communist Party of Spain.

Communist Party of Spain

The British Broadcasting Company begins radio service in the United Kingdom.

British Broadcasting Company

Al Shorta SC, one of Iraq's biggest football clubs, are founded as Montakhab Al Shorta.

Al Shorta SCIraq

The Lions Gate Bridge, connecting Vancouver to the North Shore region, opens to traffic.

Lions Gate BridgeVancouverNorth Shore (Greater Vancouver)

World War II: In England, Coventry is heavily bombed by German Luftwaffe bombers. Coventry Cathedral is almost completely destroyed.

World War IICoventry BlitzLuftwaffeCoventry Cathedral

World War II: The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sinks due to torpedo damage from the German submarine U-81 sustained on November 13.

Aircraft carrierHMS Ark Royal (91)German submarine U-81 (1941)

World War II: In Slonim, German forces engaged in Operation Barbarossa murder 9,000 Jews in a single day.

SlonimOperation Barbarossa

The first regular UK Singles Chart published by the New Musical Express.

UK Singles ChartNME

The "Apalachin Meeting" in rural Tioga County in upstate New York is raided by law enforcement; many high level Mafia figures are arrested while trying to flee.

Apalachin MeetingTioga County, New York

Ruby Bridges becomes the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana.

Ruby BridgesLouisiana

Vietnam War: The Battle of Ia Drang begins: The first major engagement between regular American and North Vietnamese forces.

Vietnam WarBattle of Ia DrangNorth Vietnam

The Congress of Colombia, in commemoration of the 150 years of the death of Policarpa Salavarrieta, declares this day as "Day of the Colombian Woman".

Congress of ColombiaPolicarpa Salavarrieta

American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world's first laser.

Theodore MaimanRuby laser

Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 12, the second crewed mission to the surface of the Moon.

Apollo programNASAApollo 12Space exploration

Soviet Union enters ICAO, making Russian the fourth official language of organization.

Soviet UnionInternational Civil Aviation Organization

Southern Airways Flight 932 crashes in the mountains near Huntington, West Virginia, killing 75, including members of the Marshall University football team.

Southern Airways Flight 932Huntington, West VirginiaMarshall UniversityAmerican football

Enthronment of Pope Shenouda III as Pope of Alexandria.

Pope Shenouda III of AlexandriaPope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

Mariner 9 enters orbit around Mars.

Mariner 9Mars

In the United Kingdom, Princess Anne marries Captain Mark Phillips, in Westminster Abbey.

Anne, Princess RoyalCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)Mark PhillipsWestminster Abbey

The Athens Polytechnic uprising, a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-74, begins.

Athens Polytechnic uprisingGreek military junta of 1967-74

With the signing of the Madrid Accords, Spain abandons Western Sahara.

Madrid AccordsWestern Sahara

Iran hostage crisis: US President Jimmy Carter issues Executive order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets in the United States in response to the hostage crisis.

Iran hostage crisisJimmy CarterExecutive orderIran hostage crisis

Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland's outlawed Solidarity movement, is released after eleven months of internment near the Soviet border.

Lech WałęsaSolidarity (Polish trade union)Internment