1180: Manuel I Komnenos, last Emperor of the Komnenian restoration dies. The Byzantine Empire slips into terminal decline.

1493: Christopher Columbus embarks on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships

1789: US Federal Judiciary Act passes, creating a six-person Supreme Court

1869: Black Friday; Wall St panic after Gould & Fisk attempt to corner gold

1877: Battle of Shiroyama, decisive victory of the Imperial Japanese Army over the Satsuma Rebellion

1950: Operation Magic Carpet concludes after having transported 45,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel

1994: National League for Democracy is formed by Aung San Suu Kyi and various others to help fight against dictatorship in Myanmar

Source: Onthisday.com