1831 -- A newly rebuilt London Bridge opens, replacing the aged and decrepit medieval structure. The old bridge's feature of pikes for the display of decapitated heads was not retained, to the disappointment of some.
1932 -- The positron antimatter particle is discovered, which is of benefit not only to science but especially to science fiction.
1977 -- U.S. Senate hearing begins on the secret mind-control project MKUltra, which evolved from earlier Nazi experiments. The matter became awkward enough after it was publicized, that regulations were put in place for similar projects in the future.
1987 -- The Fairness Doctrine is rescinded by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, to promote diversity in media bias.
1963 -- World nuclear powers sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits the signatory nations from detonating atomic bombs or spreading radioactive pollution on anyone but their own citizens.
1806 -- Emperor Francis II dissolves the outmoded and failing Holy Roman Empire, in order to devote full resources to his startup empire based in Austria.
1789 -- U.S. Department of War is established, one of the most enduring and emblematic agencies of the nation, even though its name would later change to the more benign-sounding Department of Defense.
1974 -- Since Twitter has not yet been invented, U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his impending resignation on television.
1944 -- U.S. Forest Service releases the first Smokey the Bear anti-wildfire posters. After several mauling incidents involving misguided camera-wielding park tourists, the character is redrawn to look more menacing.
1990 -- NASA's Magellan space probe reaches Venus, but does not immediately find visual evidence of Soviet spy bases.
3114 B.C. -- Beginning of the Mayan calendar. It is currently unknown whether this event was as closely observed as the calendar's end date.
30 B.C. -- Cleopatra commits suicide after being defeated by the Romans, soon after which Egypt becomes less interesting for an extended time.
1961 -- The first Berlin Wall iteration is erected overnight, breaking several world speed records in barricade construction.
2003 -- Power blackouts affect large areas of the eastern U.S. and Canada, providing a partial practice run for sudden societal collapse.
1483 -- The newly-opened Sistine Chapel is consecrated and dedicated with a celebratory mass, followed by a lively wine and cheese afterparty.
1977 -- Officially recognized death date of singer Elvis Presley, although unofficial sightings in remote locations still occur with decreasing frequency.
1982 -- First compact discs are released to the public. The somewhat-familiar shape unfortunately leads to many ruined phonograph needles and the discs themselves, during the initial days.
1783 -- A large, bright meteor is seen in the skies off the eastern coasts of Britain; many observers assume that there are scientific explanations.
2005 -- Russia and China begin Peace Mission 2005, a joint exercise to practice imposing peace on a target using various types of military force.
1866 -- American Civil War is formally declared to have ended, although in scattered areas it would continue to be fought indefinitely.
1993 -- Apparent mechanical failure leads to the loss of communications with the Mars Observer space probe. Its whereabouts remain unknown.
1864 -- Signing of the first articles of the Geneva Conventions. Although well-meant, they remain difficult to observe or enforce despite numerous amendments and reminders.
1775 -- Britain's King George III publicly declares his disgruntlement with his remote, restive American colonies.
2006 -- Pluto loses its planetary status and becomes just an orbiting thing around the Sun.
1948 -- U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee begins television broadcasts of hearings; popcorn sales soar.
1789 -- France enacts its landmark Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which guarantees the universal right to a swift and dignified beheading.
1928 -- The United States, Germany and France sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounces war, during a brief inter-war period.
1867 -- Midway Atoll, its name aptly describing its strategically perfect geographic location, is annexed by the U.S. for global accessibility purposes.
1991 -- Communist Party of the Soviet Union is declared illegal and dissolved; it will regenerate later in a persistent but less powerful form.
1990 -- At a news conference, U.S. President George H. W. Bush forewarns of a potential New World Order.
1998 -- North Korea launches its first satellite, which either fails to reach orbit or successfully deploys with anti-Western cloaking.
