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1761
The first life insurance policy in the United States was issued in Philadelphia.
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1849
Abraham Lincoln received patent number 6469 for his floating dry dock.
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1927
An earthquake near Xining, China, measuring 8.3 claimed approximately 200,000 victims.
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1947
Harry S. Truman's Doctrine brought aid to Greece and Turkey to combat the spread of Communism.
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1972
Richard Nixon arrived in Moscow, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the Soviet Union.
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1990
North Yemen and South Yemen merged to form the Republic of Yemen.
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1992
Johnny Carson hosted the last episode of his Tonight Show.
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2003
The UN Security Council approved a resolution lifting the economic sanctions against Iraq and supporting the U.S.-led administration in Iraq.
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2011
At least 140 people are killed and hundreds more injured as a three-quarter-mile-wide tornado hits Joplin, Missouri. The tornado is among the deadliest in the nation's history, destroying nearly a third of the city and damaging about 2,000 buildings, including water treatment and sewage plants.
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2012
Tokyo Skytree, which at 634 meters high is the tallest tower in the world, opened to the public.