In 1782, the United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. 

In 1803, Spain completed the process of ceding Louisiana to France, which had sold it to the United States.

In 1900, Irish writer Oscar Wilde died in Paris at age 46.

In 1939, the Russo-Finnish War began as Soviet troops invaded Finland.

In 1954, Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Ala., was slightly injured when an 8 1/2-pound meteorite crashed through the roof of her house.

In 1981, the United States and the Soviet Union opened negotiations in Geneva aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in Europe.

In 1993, President Clinton signed into law the Brady bill, which requires a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks of prospective buyers.