240 BC: 1st recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet

1856: The Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia sign the Treaty of Paris ending the Crimean War

1867: The United States buys Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 (109 million in 2018 dollars), roughly 2 cents an acre

1870: 15th Amendment to the US constitution is adopted, guarantees right to vote regardless of race

1959: Dalai Lama flees China and is granted political asylum in India

1972: Northern Ireland’s Government and Parliament dissolved by the British Government and ‘direct rule’ from Westminster is introduced

2023: Key figures in Artificial Intelligence including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak sign open letter warning the race to develop AI systems is out of control, asking for suspension for at least six months

Source: Onthisday.com