On this day in 1978, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping reversed Mao-era policies to pursue a program for Chinese economic reform.
On this day in 1992, the archives describing the fates of thousands of Latin Americans secretly kidnapped, tortured, and killed by the security services were discovered.
On this day in 2001, Richard Reid attempted to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63.
On this day in 2010, US President Barack Obama repealed the Don't ask, don't tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the United States military.