1. In 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. This marked a major turning point in American history and helped to solidify the Union's victory.

2. In 1939, singer Marian Anderson gave a historic performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. after being denied the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution due to her race. Her performance was attended by an estimated crowd of 75,000 people and helped to galvanize the civil rights movement.

3. In 1965, the Astrodome opened in Houston, Texas, becoming the first indoor stadium with a domed roof. The stadium was an engineering marvel at the time and served as a model for future sports arenas.

4. In 1987, pioneering jazz musician and bandleader Count Basie died in Hollywood, Florida at the age of 79. Basie was a major influence on the development of jazz and helped to usher in the era of big band swing music.

5. In 1990, the World Wide Web was created by computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Switzerland. The World Wide Web revolutionized the way people access and share information online and led to many of the most important technological innovations of the 21st century.