On This Day in History

An anti-Chinese uprising began as thousands of Tibetans surrounded the Potala Palace in Lhasa to prevent the Dalai Lama from leaving or being removed by the Chinese army.

Thomas Playford, Premier of South Australia, left office after 27 years, the longest term of any democratically elected leader in the history of Australia.

Military prime minister of South Vietnam Nguyễn Cao Kỳ sacked rival General Nguyễn Chánh Thi, precipitating large-scale civil and military dissension in parts of the nation.

British progressive-rock band Pink Floyd released their first single, "Arnold Layne".

Vietnam War/Laotian Civil War: North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces overwhelmed the American, Laotian, Thai, and Hmong defenders of Lima Site 85.

Ho Chi Minh Campaign: North Vietnam began its final push for victory over South Vietnam with an attack on Ban Me Thuot.

Astronomers using NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory discovered a faint ring system around Uranus.

Eighteen months after seizing power, Prosper Avril was ousted as the military head of state of Haiti.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (artist's impression pictured) reached and entered orbit around Mars.

The New York Times revealed that Eliot Spitzer (pictured), Governor of New York, had patronized a prostitution ring.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa International Airport due to a fault within the software of the plane, resulting in the deaths of all 157 people on board.