| 1782 | Provisional articles of peace are signed in Paris between Britain and the United States, under which Britain recognizes U.S. independence. |
| 1864 | During the Civil War , the Confederates suffer a costly defeat in the Battle of Franklin, TN. |
| 1939 | The Soviet Union invades Finland. |
| 1959 | Boxer Floyd Patterson knocks out Archie Moore to take the WBA heavyweight crown. |
| 1966 | Barbados , an island in the West Indies, becomes independent. |
| 1993 | The Brady Bill, a major gun-control measure, is signed into law by Pres. Bill Clinton. |
