406 The Vandals, Alans, and Seuvi cross the frozen Rhine after dark, to invade Gaul

535 The Romano-Byzantine general Belisarius captures Syracuse, completing the liberation of Sicily from the Vandals

870 Battle of Englefield: Earl Aethelwulf of Berkshire defeats the Danes

1011 The Fusat Massacre: Moslem rioters attack Jewish leaders in Fustat, Egypt

1229 James I "the Conqueror" of Aragon captures Palma, completing the liberation of the Baleares from the Moors

1492 The Spanish Crown orders the Jews expelled from Sicily

1494 Charles VIII of France occupies Rome without a fight

1502 Coup of Sinigallia: Cesare Borgia captures the treacherous lieutenants he has supposedly forgiven

1775 Battle of Quebec: Gallant nocturnal attempt by Richard Montgomery & Benedict Arnold to storm the city

1862 USS 'Monitor' founders in heavy seas off Cape Hatteras, at about 0010 am

1862 West Virginia is admitted to the Union

1941 Luzon: Fil-AM forces withdraw their right flank, but maintain a defensive line

1941 Malaya: British forces maintain a relatively stable line

1942 Japanese PM Tojo decides to abandon Guadalcanal

1942 USS 'Essex' (CV-9) is commissioned, first of a very large class

1943 Burma: Chinese New 38th Div retreats behind the Tarung River

1944 Burma: Japanese evacuate Akyab

1944 Japanese a/c sink a PT-boat tender and damage a destroyer off Mindoro

1946 French troops leave Lebanon

1946 Pres Truman officially proclaims the end of WW II

1961 End of the Marshall Plan

1981 Coup by Lt Jerry Rawlings in Ghana, who rules until 2001

1983 Nigeria's National Assembly dissolves after a military coup

1992 "The Velvet Divorce": Czechoslovakia splits into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.