1831 - Admiral James C Ross reaches magnetic North Pole
1863 - Slavery abolished in Suriname & Dutch Antilles
1867 - The Dominion of Canada is formed, comprising the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario & Quebec, with John A. Macdonald serving as the first Prime Minister
1873 - Prince Edward Island becomes 7th Canadian province
1907 - World's 1st air force established (US Army)
1960 - Ghana becomes a republic
1962 - Algeria votes for independence from France
1962 - Burundi & Rwanda gain independence from Belgium (National Days)
1997 - Britain hands Hong Kong and the New Territories - ceded in 1841 - to the People's Republic of China.
2000 - 2000 - The Oresund Bridge, connecting Sweden and Denmark, opens for traffic.
