In 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan began a voyage to find a western passage to the East Indies.
In 1873, financial chaos forced the New York Stock Exchange to close. It remained closed for 10 days.
In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival opened on the French Riviera. An earlier attempt to begin the international movie showcase in 1939 was halted by
the outbreak of World War II.
In 1966, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II launched the Cunard liner bearing her name, often shortened to QEII, which eventually became the only ocean liner
on the once thriving trans-Atlantic route.
In 1984, Muslim militants bombed the U.S. Embassy annex in Lebanon, killing 23 people, including two Americans. It was the third terrorist attack on U.S.
installations in Beirut in 17 months.
In 1991, the Cambodian government and three rebel factions agreed on a form of future U.N.-supervised elections.
In 2000, the 6-year Whitewater investigation of U.S. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton ended without any indictments being issued. Independent
Counsel Robert Ray said there was insufficient evidence to establish criminal wrongdoing.
In 2001, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was named to lead the new Department of Homeland Security.
In 2002, Israeli forces demolished all but one building of the office compound of Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat after a suicide bomber killed seven people
aboard a Tel Aviv bus.
In 2003, armies of technicians in the mid-Atlantic states worked to restore power to 2.5 million customers still in the dark from Hurricane Isabel. The
storm left at least 25 dead in seven states.
In 2004, CBS News said it regretted broadcasting a controversial report about U.S. President George W. Bush’s military service duty, saying its source misled
the network.
In 2005, the Bush administration’s disapproval rating reached a reported all-time high of 58 percent in a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll.
In 2006, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez called U.S. President George W. Bush “the devil” in a U.N. speech and accused the United States of trying to dominate
the world.
Also in 2006, a poll indicated that U.S. voters had an “overwhelmingly negative” opinion of the Republican-led U.S. Congress.
In 2007, Norman Hsu, a major Democratic fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, was charged with defrauding investors of $60 million.
Clinton said funds donated on her behalf would be returned.
Also in 2007, the U.S. dollar dropped to record lows against the euro in a week of trading, beginning on this date.
In 2008, the White House formally announced a vast bailout plan for U.S. financial institutions including full authority for the Treasury Department to
buy up to $700 billion in so-called toxic mortgage-related assets to restore confidence among investors and banks reluctant to make loans.
Also in 2008, more than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured when a truck bomb exploded outside the popular Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.
In 2009, with no timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, officials said the United States was in the midst of a massive buildup of CIA
and other intelligence resources in that country similar to operations in Iraq and Vietnam.
Also in 2009, a bear that apparently wandered into Japanese town from the mountains mauled nine people when trapped in a bus station before hunters could
kill it.
