On this day in 1071, Norman forces, under the command of Robert Guiscard, conquered the city of Bari, the capital of the Catepanate of Italy.
On this day in 1638, a rebellion by Catholic Japanese peasants in Shimabara over increased taxes was put down by the Tokugawa shogunate, resulting in greater enforcement of the policy of national seclusion.
On this day in 1912, the passenger liner RMS Titanic sank about two hours and forty minutes after colliding with an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people.
On this day in 1986, U.S. armed forces began bombing Libya to try to reduce that country's ability to support international terrorism.
On this day in 1995, at a GATT ministerial meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, representatives of 124 countries and the European Communities signed an agreement to establish the World Trade Organization.