241 BC: Battle of the Aegates Islands: Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet, ending the First Punic War

1783: USS Alliance, under Captain Barry, fights and wins the final naval battle of the American Revolutionary War off Cape Canaveral

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

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

1945: Deadliest air raid of World War II sets Tokyo on fire after nighttime B-29 bombings; more than 100,000 people die, mostly civilians

1952: Military coup led by General Fulgencio Batista in Cuba

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

Source: Onthisday.com