In History, Today on February 25

Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England through the papal bull 'Regnans in Excelsis', declaring her a heretic and releasing her subjects from allegiance to her.

Samuel Colt received a United States patent for the Colt revolver, a firearm that would become a significant tool in the American West and military history.

Hiram Rhodes Revels was sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress.

J.P. Morgan incorporated the United States Steel Corporation, which became the world's first billion-dollar corporation.

The Soviet Red Army occupied Tbilisi, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, effectively ending its independence and establishing a Soviet government.

The State of Prussia was officially abolished by the Allied Control Council, marking the end of a significant historical state in Germany.

Nikita Khrushchev delivered the 'Secret Speech' at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, denouncing the cult of personality and dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) defeated Sonny Liston to win the world heavyweight boxing title, marking the start of his legendary career.

The People Power Revolution in the Philippines culminated with the ousting of President Ferdinand Marcos and the inauguration of Corazon Aquino as president.

The Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of communist nations in Eastern Europe, was declared disbanded at a meeting in Hungary.

The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, signaling a thaw in relations after Libya renounces weapons of mass destruction.

Fidel Castro retires as the President of Cuba, ending nearly 50 years of rule, and his brother Raúl Castro is elected as the new president.

Viktor Yanukovych is inaugurated as President of Ukraine, marking a significant political shift in the country.

The European Union imposes sanctions on Libya in response to the violent crackdown on anti-government protests by Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) abducts at least 220 Assyrian Christians from villages in northeastern Syria.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 879 points, marking one of the largest single-day point drops in history, amid fears of the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact.