In History, Today on November 19

Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico during his second voyage to the Americas.

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

The Soviet Union launched Operation Uranus during World War II, a counteroffensive that encircled German forces in Stalingrad.

The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 377, known as the 'Uniting for Peace' resolution, allowing the General Assembly to act if the Security Council fails to maintain international peace.

Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean became the third and fourth humans to walk on the Moon.

The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee began impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton.

The oil tanker Prestige sinks off the coast of Galicia, Spain, causing a major environmental disaster as it spills thousands of tons of oil into the Atlantic Ocean.

Malice at the Palace, a brawl between players and fans, occurs during an NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.

Nintendo releases the Wii, a revolutionary gaming console that introduces motion-sensing controls, in North America.

The United States Senate passes the Food Safety Modernization Act, which aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.

NASA launches the MAVEN spacecraft to study the Martian atmosphere, aiming to understand the planet's climate history and potential habitability.

Mali hotel attack: Gunmen take 170 hostages at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts Resolution 2319, condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria and calling for accountability for those responsible.