When Europe Changed Its Money Overnight
Eleven European Union countries changed their money to the euro on this day in 1999. All electronic transactions switched to the new monetary unit, although coins and banknotes stayed unchanged in these countries until January 1, 2002. 1999.
The World Trade Organization was formally established. 1995.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect, eliminating most tariffs and other trade barriers on products and services passing between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 1994.
Dictator Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba after his regime was toppled by rebel forces led by Fidel Castro. 1959.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in the Confederacy (the states in rebellion against the Union during the American Civil War), was issued by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. 1863.
The first print run of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus—500 copies, with no author identified—was produced by a largely unknown publisher in London. The novel soon gained wide popularity, which prompted 20-year-old Mary Shelley to go public as its author. 1818
Haiti declared its independence from France, bringing the Haitian Revolution to an end and making Haiti the only country to be founded as a result of a rebellion by formerly enslaved people. 1804.
