On May 31, 1859, the Big Ben clock tower in London went into operation, chiming for the first time.

In 1889, some 2,200 people in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, perished when the South Fork Dam collapsed, sending 20 million tons of water rushing through the town.

In 1910, the Union of South Africa was founded.

In 1961, South Africa became an independent republic as it withdrew from the British Commonwealth.

In 1977, the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, three years in the making despite objections from environmentalists and Alaska Natives, was completed.

In 1990, the situation comedy “Seinfeld” began airing as a regular series on NBC.

In 2005, former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward as Watergate’s “Deep Throat.”