241 BC: First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands – The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing the First Punic War to an end

1783: USS Alliance under Captain Barry fights and wins last naval battle of US Revolutionary War off Cape Canaveral

1861: West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Segou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali

1920: Home Rule Act passed by the British Parliament, dividing Ireland into two parts; it is rejected by the southern counties, where the Ango-Irish war continues for a year

1952: Military coup led by General Fulgencio Batista in Cuba

2000: The NASDAQ Composite stock market index peaks at 5132.52, signalling the beginning of the end of the dot-com boom

Source: Onthisday.com