On this day: 10 January

Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense

English-born writer Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a 47-page pamphlet, without his name on it. It argued that Britain's Thirteen Colonies in America should become independent. Written in clear and persuasive language, it became an immediate sensation. It helped inspire the colonists to declare independence later in 1776, and Paine is counted as one of America's Founding Fathers.

The steamboat New Orleans completes its first voyage

The New Orleans, the first steamboat on the Mississippi River, arrived in the city of New Orleans at the end of its first voyage. It had travelled from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The journey started a new era of steamboats carrying goods and people on America's great rivers. The Mississippi is the second-longest river in the United States.

The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, ending the First World War

The Treaty of Versailles came into force, officially ending the First World War between Germany and most of the Allied Powers. The fighting had already stopped with the armistice of 11 November 1918. The treaty itself had been signed at the Palace of Versailles, in France, on 28 June 1919. The United States did not end its war through this treaty.

Tintin's very first adventure begins in a newspaper

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first Tintin story by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé, began appearing in a newspaper's children's section. It was printed in weekly parts until May 1930. The story follows the young reporter Tintin and his dog, Snowy, on a trip to the Soviet Union. The Adventures of Tintin grew to 24 books, published in more than 70 languages.

Project Diana bounces radar signals off the Moon

The US Army Signal Corps sent radar signals to the Moon and picked up the echoes that bounced back. The experiment was called Project Diana, after the Roman goddess of the Moon. It was the first experiment in radar astronomy and the first active attempt to probe another body in space. It later inspired ways of sending radio messages by bouncing them off the Moon.

The Western Han dynasty of China ended after the throne was usurped by Wang Mang, who founded the Xin dynasty.

Lucius Calpurnius Piso Licinianus is appointed by Galba as deputy Roman Emperor.

Pope Fabian, said to have been chosen by the Holy Spirit when a dove landed on his head, began his papacy.

Robert Guiscard conquers Palermo in Sicily for the Normans.

Philip the Good established the Order of the Golden Fleece, referred to as the most prestigious, exclusive, and expensive order of chivalry in the world.

Moldavian–Ottoman Wars: Stephen the Great led Moldavian forces to defeat an Ottoman attack under Hadım Suleiman Pasha near Vaslui in present-day Romania.

The Siege of Dunlap's Station begins near Cincinnati during the Northwest Indian War.

American Civil War: Florida becomes the third state to secede from the Union.

John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.

The Plan of Tuxtepec is announced.

The first great gusher of the Texas oil boom was discovered in the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont.

New York: Automobile Club of America installs signs on major highways.

World War I: Imperial Russia begins the Erzurum Offensive, leading to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire's Third Army.

League of Nations Covenant automatically enters into force after the Treaty of Versailles is ratified by Germany.

Lithuanian residents of the Klaipėda Region began a revolt, ahead of a League of Nations decision on their future which they expected to be against their interest.

The science fiction film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang, was released in Germany.

Greco-Italian War: The Greek army captured the strategically important Klisura Pass in Albania.

Tashkent Declaration, a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman returns to the newly independent Bangladesh as president after spending over nine months in prison in Pakistan.

Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments.

Holy See–United States relations: The United States and Holy See (Vatican City) re-establish full diplomatic relations after almost 117 years, overturning the United States Congress's 1867 ban on public funding for such a diplomatic envoy.

Sandinista Daniel Ortega becomes president of Nicaragua and vows to continue the transformation to socialism and alliance with the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Time Warner is formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.

The Braer Storm, the strongest extratropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Atlantic, reached peak intensity.

North Korea withdraws from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, making it the first state to withdraw from the treaty.

A general strike began in Guinea as an attempt to force President Lansana Conté to resign, eventually resulting in the appointment of two new prime ministers.