1845: Florida became the 27th state.
1931: The Star-Spangled Banner became the national anthem of the United States.
1974: A Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board. A faulty cargo door had blown open.
1991: Motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video.