Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Roman Republic.

Second Punic WarBattle of the TrebiaHannibalCarthageRoman Republic

Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (元 yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China.

Kublai KhanYuan dynastyMongolia

Portuguese forces score a military victory over the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbumbi in present-day Angola.

Portuguese EmpireKingdom of KongoBattle of MbumbiAngola

The Whitehall Conference ends with the determination that there was no law preventing Jews from re-entering England after the Edict of Expulsion of 1290.

Whitehall ConferenceEdict of Expulsion

The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the American rebels over British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga in October.

ThanksgivingJohn BurgoyneBattles of Saratoga

New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

New JerseyUnited States Constitution

Surrender of the frigate La Lutine by French Royalists to Lord Samuel Hood; renamed HMS Lutine, she later becomes a famous treasure wreck.

Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount HoodHMS Lutine (1779)

The national anthem of the Russian Empire, "God Save the Tsar!", is first performed.

National anthemRussian EmpireGod Save the Tsar!

US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the USA.

William H. SewardThirteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionSlavery in the United States

The Al-Thani family become the rulers of the state of Qatar.

House of ThaniQatar

Premiere performance of The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The NutcrackerPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskySaint Petersburg

Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 39.245 mph (63.159 km/h) in a Jeantaud electric car.

Gaston de Chasseloup-LaubatLand speed recordJeantaud

The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, Victoria Narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in or 762 mm) Railway (now the Puffing Billy Railway) in Victoria, Australia is opened for traffic.

Upper Ferntree Gully, VictoriaGembrook, VictoriaGlossary of rail transport termsPuffing Billy RailwayVictoria (Australia)

World War I: The Battle of Verdun ends when German forces under Chief of staff Erich von Falkenhayn are defeated by the French, and suffer 337,000 casualties.

World War IBattle of VerdunChief of staffErich von Falkenhayn

The resolution containing the language of the Eighteenth Amendment to enact Prohibition is passed by the United States Congress.

Eighteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionProhibition in the United StatesUnited States Congress

The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL Championship Game.

Chicago BearsPortsmouth Spartans1932 NFL Playoff Game

The Lanka Sama Samaja Party is founded in Ceylon.

Lanka Sama Samaja PartySri Lanka

World War II: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, takes place.

World War IIBattle of the Heligoland Bight (1939)

World War II: Seventy-seven B-29 Superfortress and 200 other aircraft of U.S. Fourteenth Air Force bomb Hankow, China, a Japanese supply base.

Boeing B-29 SuperfortressFourteenth Air ForceHankou

Project SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, is launched.

SCORE (satellite)Communications satellite

Saturn's moon Epimetheus is discovered by astronomer Richard Walker.

SaturnEpimetheus (moon)

Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.

Vietnam WarPresident of the United StatesRichard NixonNorth VietnamOperation Linebacker II

Soviet Soyuz Programme: Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev and Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union.

Soyuz programmeSoyuz 13List of cosmonautsValentin LebedevPyotr Klimuk

The Islamic Development Bank is founded.

Islamic Development Bank

First flight of the Russian heavy strategic bomber Tu-160, the world's largest combat aircraft, largest supersonic aircraft and largest variable-sweep wing aircraft built.

Heavy bomberStrategic bomberTupolev Tu-160Combat aircraftSupersonic aircraft

NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments, including ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT.

NASATerra (satellite)Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection RadiometerClouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy SystemMulti-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer

California gubernatorial recall: Then Governor of California Gray Davis announces that the state would face a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier.

California gubernatorial recall electionGovernor of CaliforniaGray DavisCaliforniaGovernment budget balance

The Chadian Civil War begins when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adré.

Chadian Civil War (2005-10)SudanBattle of Adré

The first of a series of floods strikes Malaysia. The death toll of all flooding is at least 118, with over 400,000 people displaced.

2006-07 Malaysian floodsMalaysia

United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections.

United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates parliamentary election, 2006