- 1732 – George Washington is born in Virginia.
- 1819 – The U.S. acquires Spanish Florida.
- 1876 – Zitkála-Šá is born. Granddaughter of Sitting Bull, a writer and Sioux Indian activist, she spent much of her adult life in Utah. She was instrumental in lobbying for citizenship rights for Native Americans and founded the National Council of American Indians. She is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
- 1950 – Dr. J is born.
- 1980 – U.S. hockey team beats the Soviets in the “Miracle on Ice.”
- 1997 – Dolly the Sheep is cloned.
- 2014 – ‘El Chapo,’ the world’s most-wanted drug kingpin, is captured in Mexico.
