Discover What Happened Today in History
Liu Bang was formally enthroned as Emperor Gaozu, founding the Han Dynasty in China. This dynasty became one of the most influential in Chinese history, establishing Confucianism as the state ideology and greatly expanding Chinese territory.
James Watson and Francis Crick announced their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, the molecule that carries genetic information. This breakthrough was fundamental to modern molecular biology and genetics.
The series finale of the television show M*A*S*H, titled 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,' aired in the United States. It became the most-watched television broadcast in American history at the time, with over 100 million viewers.
U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced a ceasefire, effectively ending the combat phase of the Persian Gulf War. The war had expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait, which they had invaded in August 1990.
NATO conducted its first-ever combat action, shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft that violated a UN no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This marked a significant shift for the alliance from a purely defensive posture.