1820: Russian Antarctic Expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discover the continent of Antarctica

1825: US Congress approves Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for the forced relocation of the Eastern Indian tribes via the “Trail of Tears”

1888: The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C. for “the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge”

1924: Lenin placed in Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow

1944: Siege of Leningrad lifted by the Soviets after 880 days and more than 2 million Russians killed

1945: Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps in Poland

1973: US & North Vietnam’s William Rogers & Nguyen Duy Trinh sign cease-fire, ending longest US war and military draft

Source: Onthisday.com