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 the last naval battle of the 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

1945: Deadliest air raid of World War II sets Tokyo on fire after night time 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