Today in history 17

Here are some historical events that occurred on February 17th:

1789: The first Congress of the United States meets in New York City, with 65 members of the House of Representatives and 26 members of the Senate.

1847: The Mexican-American War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which leads to Mexico ceding a significant amount of land to the United States, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.

1864: The H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine, becomes the first combat vessel to sink an enemy ship, the USS Housatonic, off the coast of South Carolina.

1912: The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing Congress to levy an income tax.

1944: The United States invades Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands, a strategic location in the Pacific Theater during World War II.

1964: The Beatles arrive in the United States for the first time, landing at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

1984: The United States and Vietnam establish diplomatic relations, marking a significant step towards normalization of relations between the two countries.

2007: The New Hampshire House of Representatives votes to table a bill that would have made English the official language of the state, effectively killing the bill.

These are just a few of the many historical events that have occurred on February 17th.