Connecticut became the 5th state to join the United States of America.
Source
Five minutes after take-off, Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashed north of Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 62 passengers.
NASA's Columbia Space Shuttle launched from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-32.
Apple announced iTunes at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
The European Union's climate service declared that 2023 was the hottest year on record.
Income tax was introduced in the UK so that prime minister William Pitt could collect funds to beat Napoleon.