1922 – 1st aeroplane lands at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C.
1940 – 1st radio broadcast of “Truth or Consequences” on CBS
1944 – Nicholas Alkemade falls 5,500 m without a parachute & lives
1945 – British 7th Black Watch crosses the Rhine
1945 – Largest operation in WWII’s Pacific War, 1,500 US Navy ships bomb the Japanese island of Okinawa
1945 – Premier Churchill visits Montgomery’s headquarter in Straelen
1946 – 8th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats NC 43-40
1948 – 10th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Baylor 58-42
1948 – John Cunningham sets world altitude record (54,492′ (18,133 m))
1949 – Sidney Kingsley’s “Detective Story” premieres in NYC
1950 – “Great to Be Alive” opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 52 performances
1980 – Nigeria won the Unity Cup after defeating Algeria 3-0 in Lagos…
2012 – African Union suspends Mali’s membership following a coup
1999 – “Livin’ la Vida Loca” sung by Ricky Martin released – goes on to sell over 8 million copies
2000 – Joe Sakic records his 400th career goal and becomes the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche all-time leading point
2001 – The Russian Mir space station is disposed of, breaking up in the atmosphere before falling into the southern Pacific Ocean near Fiji.2002 22nd Golden Raspberry Awards: Freddy Got Fingered wins
2003 – In Nasiriyah, Iraq, 11 soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company as well as 18 U.S. Marines are killed during the first major conflict of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2005 – The United States 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, refuses to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube.2005 A major explosion at the Texas City Refinery kills 15 workers.
2006 – The Federal Reserve discontinues publishing M3 money supply.
2006 – Human rights campaigners said Nigerian separatists have attacked census officials with acid and machetes in a violent campaign for the southeastern region to boycott the headcount. A violent start to Nigeria’s first census in 15 years left at least 10 dead and scores of others injured.
2007 – In southern Nigeria gunmen kidnapped three foreign construction workers, including a Dutch national, in two separate incidents.
2007 – Burnley Tunnel catastrophe occurs in Melbourne, Australia.
2007 – Iranian Navy seize Royal Navy personnel in Iraqi waters.
2007 – After some initial hesitation, Emma Watson signs on to appear as Hermione in the final three Harry Potter films
Also on this day in 1986, Fela Kuti was released from prison. In September 1984, Fela was arrested for attempting to unlawfully export foreign currency, which he had drawn from his British bank account. He was handed down a prison sentence of five years in November 1984.
