1. On this day, in 1636 – the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the National Guard of the United States.
2. On this day, in 1642 – Abel Tasman reached New Zealand.
Abel Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) and New Zealand, and to sight the Fiji islands.
3. On this day, in 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking – The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, fell to the Japanese. This was followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and murder hundreds of thousands of civilians.
4. On this day, in 1938 - The Neuengamme concentration camp was opened in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.
5. On this day in, 2001 – Sansad Bhavan, the building housing the Indian Parliament was attacked by terrorists.
6. On this day, in 2002 – European Union enlargement: The EU announced that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia would ecome members from May 1, 2004.
7. On this day, in 2003 – Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn – Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured near his home town of Tikrit.
