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1521
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in a fight with natives of the Philippines.
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1805
The U.S. Marines captured Derna, on the shores of Tripoli.
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1865
The worst steamship disaster in the history of the United States occurred when there was an explosion aboard the Sultana; more than 1,400 people were killed.
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1961
Sierra Leone gained independence from Great Britain.
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1983
Pitcher Nolan Ryan surpassed Walter Johnson’s strikeout record—one that had held since 1927.
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1987
Austrian president Kurt Waldheim was barred from entering the United States. He was accused of aiding in the execution of thousands of Jews in World War II.
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1993
Eritrea declared itself independent.
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