On this day in 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert established the first English colony in North America, at what is now St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
On this day in 1861, a national income tax was introduced in the United States, initially to fund the Civil War.
On this day in 1950, the U.S. 13th Air Force was stationed in Taiwan to help the ROC guard against possible mainland Chinese air attacks.