1. In 1865, the United States Congress passed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, and was ratified by the required number of states on January 31, 1865.

2. In 1919, the infamous "Black Sox" scandal came to light in Chicago during the trial of eight players accused of fixing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. One of the players, Fred McMullin, was from Scarsdale, New York.

3. In 1949, New York City experienced one of the worst snowstorms in its history, with over 26 inches of snow falling in just 24 hours. The storm caused widespread disruption to transport and left many streets and buildings buried under snow.

4. In 1958, the toy company Mattel introduced the Barbie doll at the American International Toy Fair in New York. The doll quickly became a cultural icon and has remained popular ever since.

5. In 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. The order was met with widespread protests, including at New York's JFK airport, where hundreds of people gathered to demonstrate against the ban.