1758 The British captured Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh) in the French and Indian Wars.
1783 The British evacuated New York City, their last military position, after the Revolutionary War.
1841 The slaves who seized the Amistad in 1839 were freed by the Supreme Court. They had been defended by former president John Quincy Adams.
1947 Movie executives blacklisted the "Hollywood Ten."
1986 Iran-Contra scandal broke.
1998 Jiang Zemin became the first Chinese head of state to visit Japan since World War II.
1999 Elian Gonzalez was rescued off the coast of Florida.
2002 President George W. Bush signed into law the Department of Homeland Security and named Tom Ridge as head.
