In 1782, the United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War.
In 1803, Spain completed the process of ceding Louisiana to France, which had sold it to the United States.
In 1804, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase went on trial, accused of political bias. He was acquitted by the Senate.
In 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens -- better known as Mark Twain -- was born in Florida, Missouri.
In 1874, British statesman Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace.
In 1900, Irish writer Oscar Wilde died in Paris at age 46.
In 1936, London's famed Crystal Palace, constructed for the Great Exhibition of 1851, was destroyed in a fire.
In 1939, the Russo-Finnish War began as Soviet troops invaded Finland.
In 1962, U Thant of Burma, who had been acting secretary-general of the United Nations following the death of Dag Hammarskjold the year before, was elected to a four-year term.
In 1966, the former British colony of Barbados became independent.
In 1974, the fossilized remains of a female human ancestor named Lucy (after the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds") were found in Ethiopia. [Closest to a Beatle reference today. — Ed.]
In 1981, the United States and the Soviet Union opened negotiations in Geneva aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in Europe.
In 1987, author James Baldwin died in Saint Paul de Vence, France, at age 63.
Ten years ago: Czech Premier Vaclav Klaus formally handed in his government's resignation in the wake of a campaign financing scandal. In Tajikistan, French hostage Karine Mane was killed with five suspected kidnappers when a grenade exploded during a failed rescue operation; a companion had been released hours earlier.
In 1999, the opening of a 135-nation trade gathering in Seattle was disrupted by at least 40,000 demonstrators, some of whom clashed with police.
Five years ago: International weapons hunters in Iraq paid an unannounced visit to a military post previously declared "sensitive" and restricted by Baghdad. A nightclub fire in Caracas, Venezuela, killed 50 people.
One year ago: President Bush met in Jordan with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki; Bush said the United States would speed a turnover of security responsibility to Iraqi forces but assured al-Maliki that Washington was not looking for a "graceful exit" from the war. Pope Benedict the 16th visited Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque in a dramatic gesture of outreach to Muslims.
Birthdays of the (Still) Living:
Actor Efrem Zimbalist Junior is 90. Actor Robert Guillaume is 80. TV personality and producer Dick Clark is 78. Radio talk show host G. Gordon Liddy is 77. Movie director Ridley Scott is 70. Singer Rob Grill (The Grassroots) is 64. Movie writer-director Terrence Malick is 64. Rock musician Roger Glover (Deep Purple) is 62. Playwright David Mamet is 60. Actor Mandy Patinkin is 55. Musician Shuggie Otis is 54. Country singer Jeannie Kendall is 53. Singer Billy Idol is 52. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is 50. Rock musician John Ashton (The Psychedelic Furs) is 50. Former football and baseball player Bo Jackson is 45. Actor-director Ben Stiller is 42. Actress Sandra Oh is 37.
Birthdays of the Dead:
Andrea Palladio, architect (1508)
Jonathan Swift, author (1667)
Gordon Parks, photographer, filmmaker, writer (1912)
Shirley Chisholm, congresswoman (1924)
"Entertainment" History:
In 1940, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married.
In 1965, the state of Colorado declared "Rolling Stones Day," in honor of the Stones concert in Denver.
In 1969, Simon and Garfunkel's first TV special was broadcast in the US.
In 1976, singers-songwriters Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson got married.
In 1977, David Bowie sang a duet of "Little Drummer Boy" with Bing Crosby on his Christmas special. [30 yrs. ago today! — Ed.]
In 1988, LL Cool J performed the first rap concert in Africa, in Cote D'Ivoire.
In 1996, entertainer Tiny Tim died after performing his signature song, "Tiptoe Thru' The Tulips," at a benefit concert in Minneapolis. Reports put his age at either 64 or 66.
In 2000, Loverboy bassist Scott Smith was washed off his boat about four miles off the coast of San Francisco. His body was never found.
In 2004, Ken Jennings won 74 times and $2.5 million on "Jeopardy!" before finally losing.
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