Mehmed II, the Ottoman Sultan, began the siege of Constantinople, which would eventually lead to the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sights land in what is now the United States, specifically Florida, which he names La Florida.

The Battle of Copenhagen takes place during the War of the Second Coalition, where a British fleet under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker defeats a Danish-Norwegian fleet.

President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war against Germany, leading the United States into World War I.

Argentina invades the Falkland Islands, beginning the Falklands War with the United Kingdom.

In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.

Pope John Paul II passed away at the age of 84, ending a papacy that began in 1978. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and played a significant role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

Al-Shabaab militants attacked Garissa University College in Kenya, killing 148 people, mostly students. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Kenya since the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court reversed its decision to strip the National Assembly of its powers, a move that had sparked widespread protests and international condemnation. This was part of the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela.

Brunei implemented a new penal code that included death by stoning for homosexual acts and adultery, drawing international condemnation and calls for boycotts.

The global number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed one million, highlighting the rapid spread of the virus and prompting widespread public health measures.