1901–present 1913 – The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect an income tax. 1916 – The Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada burns down with the loss of seven lives. 1917 – World War I: The American entry into World War I begins when diplomatic relations with Germany are severed due to its unrestricted submarine warfare. 1918 – The Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco, California begins service as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at long. 1927 – A revolt against the military dictatorship of Portugal breaks out at Oporto.James M. Anderson, The History of Portugal (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000) p. 144-145 1930 – The Communist Party of Vietnam is founded at a "Unification Conference" held in Kowloon, British Hong Kong. 1931 – The Hawke's Bay earthquake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster, kills 258. 1933 – Adolf Hitler announces that the expansion of Lebensraum into Eastern Europe, and its ruthless Germanisation, are the ultimate geopolitical objectives of Nazi foreign policy. 1943 – The is sunk by a German U-boat. Only 230 of 902 men aboard survive. 1944 – World War II: During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, U.S. Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison. 1945 – World War II: As part of Operation Thunderclap, 1,000 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin, a raid which kills between 2,500 and 3,000 and another 120,000. 1945 – World War II: The United States and the Philippine Commonwealth begin a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan. 1953 – The Batepá massacre occurred in São Tomé when the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners unleashed a wave of violence against the native creoles known as forros. 1958 – Founding of the Benelux Economic Union, creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community. 1959 – Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa, an event later known as The Day the Music Died. 1959 – Sixty-five people are killed when American Airlines Flight 320 crashes into the East River on approach to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. 1960 – British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan speaks of "a wind of change", signalling that his Government was likely to support decolonisation. 1961 – The United States Air Force begins Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a "Doomsday Plane" is always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post. 1966 – The Soviet Union's Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon, and the first spacecraft to take pictures from the surface of the Moon. 1971 – New York Police Officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust in Brooklyn and survives to later testify against police corruption. 1972 – The first day of the seven-day 1972 Iran blizzard, which would kill at least 4,000 people, making it the deadliest snowstorm in history. 1984 – Doctor John Buster and a research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in the United States announce history's first embryo transfer, from one woman to another resulting in a live birth. 1984 – Space Shuttle program: STS-41-B is launched using Space Shuttle Challenger. 1989 – After a stroke two weeks previously, South African President P. W. Botha resigns as leader of the National Party, but stays on as president for six more months. 1989 – A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954. 1994 – Space Shuttle program: STS-60 is launched, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard the Shuttle. 1995 – Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 1998 – Cavalese cable car disaster: A United States military pilot causes the death of 20 people when his low-flying plane cuts the cable of a cable-car near Trento, Italy.John Tagliabue with Matthew L. Wald, "Death in the Alps: a special report.; How Wayward U.S. Pilot Killed 20 on Ski Lift", The New York Times, 18 February 1998. 2005 – One hundred five people are killed when Kam Air Flight 904 crashes in the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan. 2007 – A Baghdad market bombing kills at least 135 people and injures a further 339. 2014 – Two people are shot and killed and 29 students are taken hostage at a high school in Moscow, Russia. 2023 – 2023 Ohio train derailment: A freight train containing vinyl chloride and other hazardous materials derails and burns in East Palestine, Ohio, United States, releasing hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air and contaminating the Ohio River.
1901–present 1913 – The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect an income tax 1916 – The Centre Block of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa Ontario Canada burns down with the loss of seven lives 1917 – World War I The American entry into World War I begins when diplomatic relations with Germany are severed due to its unrestricted submarine warfare 1918 – The Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco California begins service as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world at long 1927 – A revolt against the military dictatorship of Portugal breaks out at OportoJames M Anderson The History of Portugal (Greenwood Publishing Group 2000) p 144-145 1930 – The Communist Party of Vietnam is founded at a "Unification Conference" held in Kowloon British Hong Kong 1931 – The Hawke's Bay earthquake New Zealand's worst natural disaster kills 258 1933 – Adolf Hitler announces that the expansion of Lebensraum into Eastern Europe and its ruthless Germanisation are the ultimate geopolitical objectives of Nazi foreign policy 1943 – The is sunk by a German U-boat Only 230 of 902 men aboard survive 1944 – World War II During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign US Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison 1945 – World War II As part of Operation Thunderclap 1000 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force bomb Berlin a raid which kills between 2500 and 3000 and another 120000 1945 – World War II The United States and the Philippine Commonwealth begin a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan 1953 – The Batepá massacre occurred in São Tomé when the colonial administration and Portuguese landowners unleashed a wave of violence against the native creoles known as forros 1958 – Founding of the Benelux Economic Union creating a testing ground for a later European Economic Community 1959 – Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly Ritchie Valens and J P "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake Iowa an event later known as The Day the Music Died 1959 – Sixty-five people are killed when American Airlines Flight 320 crashes into the East River on approach to LaGuardia Airport in New York City 1960 – British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan speaks of "a wind of change" signalling that his Government was likely to support decolonisation 1961 – The United States Air Force begins Operation Looking Glass and over the next 30 years a "Doomsday Plane" is always in the air with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post 1966 – The Soviet Union's Luna 9 becomes the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon and the first spacecraft to take pictures from the surface of the Moon 1971 – New York Police Officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust in Brooklyn and survives to later testify against police corruption 1972 – The first day of the seven-day 1972 Iran blizzard which would kill at least 4000 people making it the deadliest snowstorm in history 1984 – Doctor John Buster and a research team at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in the United States announce history's first embryo transfer from one woman to another resulting in a live birth 1984 – Space Shuttle program STS-41-B is launched using Space Shuttle Challenger 1989 – After a stroke two weeks previously South African President P W Botha resigns as leader of the National Party but stays on as president for six more months 1989 – A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner dictator of Paraguay since 1954 1994 – Space Shuttle program STS-60 is launched carrying Sergei Krikalev the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard the Shuttle 1995 – Astronaut Eileen Collins becomes the first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle as mission STS-63 gets underway from Kennedy Space Center in Florida 1998 – Cavalese cable car disaster A United States military pilot causes the death of 20 people when his low-flying plane cuts the cable of a cable-car near Trento ItalyJohn Tagliabue with Matthew L Wald "Death in the Alps a special report; How Wayward US Pilot Killed 20 on Ski Lift" The New York Times 18 February 1998 2005 – One hundred five people are killed when Kam Air Flight 904 crashes in the Pamir Mountains in Afghanistan 2007 – A Baghdad market bombing kills at least 135 people and injures a further 339 2014 – Two people are shot and killed and 29 students are taken hostage at a high school in Moscow Russia 2023 – 2023 Ohio train derailment A freight train containing vinyl chloride and other hazardous materials derails and burns in East Palestine Ohio United States releasing hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air and contaminating the Ohio River