Today in history: April 25

2003: The Georgia legislature voted to scrap the "Confederate flag" design from its state flag.

1992: Islamic forces took over most of Kabul, Afghanistan after the Soviet-controlled government collapsed.

1990: Violeta Barrios de Chamorro begins a six year term as Nicaragua's president.

1982: In accordance with the Camp David agreements, Israel completes a withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula.

1980: President Jimmy Carter tells the American people about the hostage rescue disaster in Iran.

1971: The country of Bangladesh is established.

1962: A U.S. Ranger spacecraft crash lands on the Moon.

1960: The first submerged circumnavigation of the Earth is completed by a Triton submarine.

1959: The St. Lawrence Seaway–linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes–opens to shipping.

1956: Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" goes to number one on the charts.

1953: The magazine Nature publishes an article by biologists Francis Crick and James Watson, describing the "double helix" of DNA.

1951: After a three day fight against Chinese Communist Forces, the Gloucestershire Regiment is annihilated on "Gloucester Hill," in Korea.

1945: U.S. and Soviet forces meet at Torgau, Germany on Elbe River.

1938: A seeing eye dog is used for the first time.

1928: The first seeing eye dog was presented to Morris S. Frank.

1926: In Iran, Reza Kahn is crowned Shah and chooses the name "Pehlevi."

1926: Puccini's opera Turandot premiers at La Scala in Milan with Arturo Toscanini conducting.

1925: General Paul von Hindenburg takes office as president of Germany.

1915: Australian and New Zealand troops land at Gallipoli in Turkey.

1901: New York became the first state to require license plates on cars.

1898: The United States declares war on Spain.

1882: French commander Henri Riviere seizes the citadel of Hanoi in Indochina.

1867: Tokyo is opened for foreign trade.

1864: After facing defeat in the Red River Campaign, Union General Nathaniel Bank returns to Alexandria, Louisiana.

1862: Admiral Farragut occupies New Orleans, Louisiana.

1859: Work begins on the Suez Canal in Egypt.

1792: The guillotine is first used to execute highwayman Nicolas J. Pelletier.

1719: Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe is published in London.

1707: At the Battle of Almansa, Franco-Spanish forces defeat the Anglo-Portugese forces.

1644: The Ming Chongzhen emperor commits suicide by hanging himself.

1590: The Sultan of Morocco launches a successful attack to capture Timbuktu.