1770: The Boston Massacre occurs when British soldiers fire into a crowd of colonists, killing five. The incident further inflames tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain.
1857: Dred Scott, an enslaved man, files a lawsuit in the United States Supreme Court seeking his freedom. The Court eventually rules against Scott, declaring that African Americans are not citizens and therefore cannot sue in federal court.
1933: Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States. Roosevelt's presidency marks the beginning of the New Deal, a series of economic policies aimed at combating the Great Depression.
1946: Winston Churchill delivers his famous "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri. In the speech, Churchill warns of the dangers of Soviet communism and calls for a strong alliance of democratic nations to oppose it.
1960: Elvis Presley is drafted into the United States Army. Presley's induction into the military is met with widespread publicity and grief among his fans.
1970: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is created by an executive order from President Richard Nixon. The EPA is responsible for protecting the environment and human health from pollutants and other environmental hazards.
1987: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 2,000 for the first time. The milestone marks a significant moment in Wall Street history and reflects the strong performance of the US economy in the late 1980s.
1991: The Soviet Union collapses after years of political and economic turmoil. The collapse of the Soviet Union marks the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era in world politics.
2003: The United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain launch a military invasion of Iraq with the goal of removing Saddam Hussein from power. The invasion is highly controversial and does not achieve its stated goals.