On this day in 1498, Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer in the service of Spain who made three subsequent voyages to the Caribbean in his quest for a sea route to China, discovered an island which he named Trinidad.
On this day in 1904, the 7,300-kilometer Trans-Siberian Railroad, which crosses southern Siberia, was opened to traffic after 13 years of construction.
On this day in 2006, Cuban President Fidel Castro announced a temporary transfer of power to his younger brother, first Vice President Raul Castro, as he would undergo an operation for an undisclosed digestive illness believed to be diverticulitis.