Myanmar’s first elected parliament in half a century convenes
The event underlined a general move towards democracy in the country.

Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashes into the sea
The MD-83 experienced horizontal stabilizer problems before descending into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 88 on board.

A suicide bombing in Sri Lanka kills 91 people
Separatist Tamil Tigers detonated a truck loaded with explosives in front of the central bank in Colombo.

Ham the Chimp travels into outer space
The chimpanzee survived the US Mercury Program test flight with just a bruised nose.

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed
The Amendment, which officially abolished slavery, was adopted on December 6, 1865.