2005—A U.S. official reports that $9,000,000,000 is … well … sort of … missing in Iraq.
1981—An FB-111A “Aardvark” based at Pease AFB crashes near homes at Mariner’s Village, about 1.25 miles northwest of Market Square. One apartment building is destroyed; no one is injured.
1976—The Supreme Court decides that limiting campaign contributions would unfairly restrict the speech of its favorite minority group: people with unlimited amounts of money.
1972—“Bloody Sunday” in Northern Ireland: British soldiers gun down 14 Catholic civil-rights marchers.
1968—Two hundred colonels in the U.S. MACV staff attend a pool party in Saigon. “Not one … knew Tet was coming” the next day, an analyst says later.
1945—A Soviet sub sinks the MV Wilhelm Gustloff; some 9,400 drown, mostly civilians, half children.
1933—Destabilized by austerity, largely self-inflicted, Germany allows the Nazis to seize power.
1798—Rep. Matthew Lyon insults Rep. Roger Griswold on the House floor. Griswold calls Lyon a coward. Lyon spits in Griswold’s face.
1661—Oliver Cromwell, despite having been dead for two years, is posthumously executed and decapitated. His head goes unburied for 300 years.
1649—King Charles I discovers divine right has limits when Oliver Cromwell removes his head.