In History, Today on January 15

Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey.

The British Museum opened to the public for the first time.

A political cartoon for the first time symbolized the Democratic Party with a donkey.

James Naismith published the rules of basketball for the first time.

The Great Molasses Flood occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, when a large storage tank burst, releasing a wave of molasses that killed 21 people.

Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights leader, was born.

The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, was dedicated.

The first Super Bowl was played, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.

Muammar Gaddafi was proclaimed premier of Libya.

President Richard Nixon announced the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam, a step towards ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expired, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.

Wikipedia, a free-content encyclopedia, was launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger.

US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River after striking a flock of geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.

The Arab Spring: Protests began in Oman, marking the start of the Omani protests, part of the wider Arab Spring movement.

The Swiss National Bank abandoned the Swiss Franc's cap against the Euro, causing significant volatility in the currency markets.

A false missile alert was issued in Hawaii, causing widespread panic before being corrected 38 minutes later.

A terrorist attack at the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi, Kenya, results in the deaths of 21 people. The attack is claimed by the militant group Al-Shabaab.