The Second Vatican Council, announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, opened this day in 1962, lasted for three years, and remains a symbol (controversial to some) of the church's readiness to adapt to modern life.
| 2002: | | The U.S. Congress passed a bill, by a wide margin, granting U.S. President George W. Bush broad authority to use force against Iraq. |
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| 2000: | | In a ceremony in London, the International Women of the Year Association awarded the title Greatest Woman Achiever of the Century to Russian cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova, the first woman in space. |
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| 1976: | | In China the Gang of Four, having lost their influence with the death of Mao Zedong, were arrested. |
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| 1974: | | The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was established by President Gerald R. Ford to oversee the civilian use of nuclear materials in the United States. |
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| 1958: | | The unmanned U.S. deep-space probe Pioneer 1 was launched into lunar orbit. |
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| 1899: | | The South African (Boer) War began between Great Britain and the two Boer (Afrikaner) republics—the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. |
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| 1890: | | The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) was organized. |
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| 1531: | | Protestant troops under Jörg Göldli were defeated by Roman Catholic troops at the Battle of Kappel during the Swiss Reformation. |
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