- 1933: Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany, marking a turning point in the country's history and the beginning of the Nazi regime's rise to power.
- 1942: Japanese forces invade the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies during World War II. The ensuing massacre of captured Allied soldiers remains a dark chapter in the conflict.
- 1945: The Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise ship used as a refugee transport, is sunk by a Soviet submarine in the Baltic Sea, resulting in the deadliest maritime disaster in history with an estimated 9,400 lives lost.
- 1948: Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned Indian independence leader and advocate for nonviolence, is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, plunging India into mourning. This event is commemorated as Martyrs' Day in India.
- 1969: The Beatles perform their last public concert on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters in London, marking a cultural shift as the iconic band disbands.
- 1972: "Bloody Sunday" occurs in Northern Ireland, when British troops fire on unarmed civil rights protesters, killing fourteen people and injuring many others, escalating the conflict in the region.
- 1982: The first computer virus, Elk Cloner, is released by a 15-year-old teenager, marking the beginning of a new era in cybersecurity threats.
- 2001: The last commercial whaling ship of the 20th century returns to Japan,
What is the unique origin story behind the croissant pastry?