Englishman John Walker invented modern-day wooden matches that create a flame through friction.
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US forces circled the city of Baghdad, which led to the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime two days later.
The United Nations formed the World Health Organization (WHO).
Car engineer Henry Ford died at the age of 83.
Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted, devastating Naples in the process.
The Soviet K-278 Komsomolets nuclear submarine caught fire and sank off the coast of Norway.
