1657 – Great Fire of Meireki: A fire in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, caused more than 100,000 deaths; it lasted three days
1776 – American Revolutionary War: Patriot militia units arrest the Royal Governor of Georgia James Wright and attempt to prevent capture of supply ships in the Battle of the Rice Boats.
1791 – Long-distance communication speeds up with the unveiling of a semaphore machine in Paris.
1793 – Sam Houston, American soldier and politician, 1st President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1863) was born.
1797 – The Bank of England issues the first one-pound and two-pound banknotes.
1807 – The U.S. Congress passes the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, disallowing the importation of new slaves into the country.
1836 – Texas Revolution: Declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico.
1867 – The U.S. Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act.
1877 – U.S. presidential election, 1876: Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876.
1878 – William Kissam Vanderbilt II, American sailor (d. 1944) was born.
1882 – Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick McLean in Windsor.
1901 – The U.S. Congress passes the Platt Amendment limiting the autonomy of Cuba, as a condition of the withdrawal of American troops.
1903 – In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.
1904 – Dr. Seuss, [Theodor Geisel], children’s author (Horton Hears a Who!), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
1917 – The enactment of the Jones-Shafroth Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.
1922 – Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, American saxophonist (d. 1986) was born.
1930 – D.H. (David Herbert) Lawrence, English poet/writer (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love), dies at 44
1931 – Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet lawyer and politician, President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Prize laureate was birthed
1931 – Tom Wolfe, Richmond Va, journalist/author (Right Stuff) Born.
1933 – The film King Kong opens at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
1937 – The Steel Workers Organizing Committee signs a collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, leading to unionization of the United States steel industry.
1938 – Lawrence Payton, American singer-songwriter and producer (The Four Tops) (d. 1997) was born.
1939 – Howard Carter, English archaeologist (b. 1874) died.
1941 – World War II: First German military units enter Bulgaria after it joins the Axis Pact.
1942 – Lou Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (The Velvet Underground and Metal Machine Trio) (d. 2013) was born.
1943 – World War II: Battle of the Bismarck Sea – United States and Australian forces sink Japanese convoy ships.
1948 – Rory Gallagher, Donegal, Irish rock guitarist and songwriter (See Here) Born
1949 – The first automatic street light is installed in New Milford, Connecticut.
1955 – Dale Bozzio, vocalist (Missing Persons-Destination Unknown), born in Boston, Massachusetts Born
1955 – Jay Osmond, Ogden Utah, singer (Osmond Brothers, Donnie & Marie) Born
1956 – John Cowsill, American singer and drummer (The Cowsills) was born.
1956 – Mark Evans, Australian bass player (AC/DC, Finch, and Heaven) was born.
1959 – Andrew Farriss, Australia, rock keyboardist (Inxs-Kiss the Dirt) Born
1962 – In Burma, the army led by General Ne Win seizes power in a coup d’état.
1962 – Jon Bon Jovi, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (Bon Jovi) was birthed.
1964 – Mike Von Erich, American wrestler (d. 1987) was born.
1971 – Method Man, American rapper, producer, and actor (Wu-Tang Clan) was born.
1977 – Chris Martin, English singer-songwriter and producer (Coldplay) was born.
1981 – Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress (daughter of Ron Howard) Born
1982 – Philip K[indred] Dick, US Sci-fi author (Hugo-1963, Dr Futurity), dies at 53
Blade Runner (1982), based on Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,
Total Recall (1990), based on the short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”,
Screamers (1995), based on the short story “Second Variety”,
Minority Report (2002), based on the short story “The Minority Report”,
Paycheck (2003), directed by John Woo and starring Ben Affleck, based on Dick’s short story of the same name.
A Scanner Darkly (2006), directed by Richard Linklater and starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, and Robert Downey Jr., based on Dick’s novel of the same name
The Adjustment Bureau (2011), directed by George Nolfi and starring Matt Damon, loosely based on the short story “Adjustment Team”.
1983 – Compact Discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan.
1989 – Twelve European Community nations agree to ban the production of all chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the end of the century.
1990 – Nelson Mandela is elected deputy President of the African National Congress.
1999 – Dusty Springfield, English singer (b. 1939) Dies
2002 – U.S. invasion of Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda begins, (ending on March 19 after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, with 11 Western troop fatalities).
2003 – Hank Ballard, American musician (b. 1927) Dies
2008 – Jeff Healey, Canadian musician (b. 1966) Dies