🕊️ 1648 – Peace of Westphalia Signed: The Peace of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War, establishing the principle of state sovereignty and shaping the modern international order. 📜

❄️ 1812 – Napoleon Begins Retreat from Moscow: Napoleon's Grande Armée began its disastrous retreat from Moscow, suffering catastrophic losses due to the Russian winter and scorched-earth tactics. 🇫🇷

🛢️ 1901 – First Person Survives Niagara Falls Plunge: Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, gaining brief fame for her daring stunt. 💦

📉 1929 – Stock Market Crash on "Black Thursday": The U.S. stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression and plunging the world into a severe economic crisis. 💸

⚓ 1944 – Climax of the Battle of Leyte Gulf: The Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, ended in a decisive victory for Allied forces, crippling Japan's navy in World War II. 🚢

🌍 1945 – United Nations Established: The United Nations was officially founded to promote peace, security, and cooperation, marking a new era of international diplomacy after World War II. 🕊️

🎬 1947 – Walt Disney Testifies Before HUAC: Walt Disney testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee, contributing to Hollywood’s Red Scare and the blacklisting of suspected communists. 🕵️

📼 1973 – Nixon Agrees to Release Watergate Tapes: President Nixon agreed to release White House tape recordings, a pivotal moment in the Watergate scandal that led to his eventual resignation. 🎙️

🔭 1992 – Vatican Apologizes for Galileo Condemnation: The Roman Catholic Church formally apologized for condemning Galileo in 1633, acknowledging its error in opposing his support of the heliocentric theory. 🌞

✈️ 2003 – Final Concorde Flight: The Concorde supersonic jet made its last commercial flight, marking the end of an era in luxurious and fast air travel. ✈️