On this day in 1865, an explosion destroyed the steamboat Sultana on the Mississippi River, killing an estimated 1,800 of the 2,400 passengers.
On this day in 2005, the Airbus A380, the largest passenger airliner in the world, made its maiden flight from Toulouse, France.
On this day in 2006, construction began on the Freedom Tower for the new World Trade Center in New York City.