2001
The start of a very long conflict
U.S. and British forces launched bombing campaign against Taliban government and al-Qaeda terrorist camps in Afghanistan.
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1765
The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up colonial grievances against England.
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1849
Poet-writer Edgar Allan Poe died at age 40.
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1949
The Republic of East Germany was formed.
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1968
The Motion Picture Association of America adopted its film-rating system, ranging from "G" for general audiences to "X" for adults only.
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1982
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats," the longest running show in Broadway history, opened.
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1985
The Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked by Palestinian gunmen in the Mediterranean.
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1998
Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten, robbed, and left tied to a fence. He died five days later.
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2003
California governor Gray Davis was recalled and former bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected in his place.
