- 1991 – Five Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union agreed to join the new Commonwealth of Independent States.
- 1991 – North Korea and South Korea signed a historic non-aggression agreement.
- 1993 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people must receive a hearing before property linked to illegal drug sales can be seized.
- 1993 – The European Community ratified a treaty creating the European Economic Area (EEA), to go into effect January 1, 1994.
- 1994 – An American Eagle commuter plane carrying 20 people crashed short of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, killing 15 people.
- 1995 – China’s most influential democracy activist, Wei Jingsheng, who already had spent 16 years in prison, was sentenced to 14 more years.
- 1997 – The Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA, was opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
- 1998 – Puerto Rican voters rejected U.S. statehood in a non-binding referendum.
- 1998 – Gary Anderson (Minnesota Vikings) kicked six field goals against Baltimore. In the game Anderson set an National Football League (NFL) record for 34 straight field goals without a miss.
- 2000 – U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the 2000 Presidential election to Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The Florida electoral votes were won by only 537 votes, which decided the election. The election had been contested up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which said that the Florida recount (supported by the Florida Supreme Court) was unconstitutional.
- 2000 – Seven convicts, the “Texas 7,” escaped from Connally Unit in Kenedy, TX, southeast of San Antonio, by overpowering civilian workers and prison employees. They fled with stolen clothing, pickup truck and 16 guns and ammunition.
- 2001 – The U.S. government released a video tape that showed Osama bin Laden and others discussing their knowledge of the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
- 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush served formal notice to Russia that the United States was withdrawing from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
- 2001 – Israel severed all contact with Yasser Arafat. Israel also launched air strikes and sent troops into Palestine in response to a bus ambush that killed 10 Israelis.
- 2001 – Gunmen stormed the Indian Parliament and killed seven people and injured 18. Security forces killed the attackers during a 90-minute gunbattle.
- 2001 – NBC-TV announced that it would begin running hard liquor commercials. NBC issued a 19-point policy that outlined the conditions for accepting liquor ads.
- 2001 – Michael Frank Goodwin was arrested and booked on two counts of murder, one count of conspiracy and three special circumstances (lying in wait, murder for financial gain and multiple murder) in connection to the death of Mickey Thompson. Thompson and his wife Trudy were shot to death in their driveway on March 16, 1988. Thompson, known as the “Speed King,” set nearly 500 auto speed endurance records including being the first person to travel more than 400 mph on land.
- 2002 – European Union enlargement: The EU announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members on May 1, 2004.
- 2003 – Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit.
- 2007 – The Treaty of Lisbon is signed by members states of the European Union.
- 2011 – A murder–suicide in Liège, Belgium, kills six and wounds 125 people at a Christmas market.
- 2018 – A high-speed train crashes in Ankara, Turkey, killing at least nine people and injuring 84.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter and pianist
- 1981 – Mathis Bailey, American-Canadian novelist and fiction writer
- 1982 – Dan Hamhuis, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1982 – Ayumi Kinoshita, Japanese actress and model
- 1982 – Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player
- 1982 – Tuka Rocha, Brazilian race car driver (d. 2019)
- 1982 – Koutaro Tanaka, Japanese actor
- 1982 – Dominik Werling, German footballer
- 1983 – Matt Deis, American bass player and songwriter
- 1983 – Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish swimmer
- 1983 – Janeth Jepkosgei, Kenyan runner
- 1984 – Santi Cazorla, Spanish footballer
- 1984 – Hanna-Maria Seppälä, Finnish swimmer
- 1985 – Michael Bumpus, American football player
- 1985 – Laurence Leboeuf, Canadian actress
- 1985 – Alby Mathewson, New Zealand rugby player
- 1986 – Mathieu Gnanligo, Beninese sprinter
- 1988 – Rickie Fowler, American golfer
- 1988 – Olly Lancashire, English footballer
- 1988 – James Tamou, New Zealand-Australian rugby league player
- 1989 – Hellen Onsando Obiri, Kenyan runner
- 1989 – Ben Ridge, Australian rugby league player
- 1989 – Taylor Swift, American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress
- 1990 – Joseph Garrett, English YouTube personality
- 1991 – Sénah Mango, Togolese footballer
- 1991 – Aaron Telitz, American race car driver
- 1996 – Gleyber Torres, Venezuelan baseball player