On this day in 1795, Partitions of Poland: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a northern fief of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, ceases to exist and becomes part of Imperial Russia.

On this day in 1801, Treaty of Florence is signed, ending the war between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Naples.

On this day in 1802, Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid ever to be discovered.

On this day in 1809, Peninsular War: France defeats Spain in the Battle of Medellín.

On this day in 1814, War of 1812: In the Battle of Valparaíso, two American naval vessels are captured by two Royal Navy vessels.

On this day in 1842, First concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Otto Nicolai.

On this day in 1854, Crimean War: France and Britain declare war on Russia.

On this day in 1860, First Taranaki War: The Battle of Waireka begins.

On this day in 1862, American Civil War: In the Battle of Glorieta Pass, Union forces stop the Confederate invasion of the New Mexico Territory. The battle began on March 26.

On this day in 1910, Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion, after taking off from water runway Étang le Barre, near Marseille.

On this day in 1920, Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 affects the Great Lakes region and Deep South states.

On this day in 1933, The Imperial Airways biplane City of Liverpool is believed to be the first airliner lost to sabotage when a passenger sets a fire on board.

On this day in 1939, Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid after a three-year siege.

On this day in 1941, World War II: First day of the Battle of Cape Matapan in Greece between the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy.

On this day in 1942, World War II: A British combined force permanently disables the Louis Joubert Lock in Saint-Nazaire in order to keep the German battleship Tirpitz away from the mid-ocean convoy lanes.

On this day in 1430, The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of Venice.

On this day in 1549, The city of Salvador, Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded.

On this day in 1632, Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629.

On this day in 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm's Royal Opera 13 days earlier.

On this day in 1806, Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway.