Today in History ...

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331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. 1814 – Opening of the Congress of Vienna, intended to redraw Europe's political map after the defeat of Napoléon the previous spring. 1891 – In California, Stanford University opens its doors. 1937 – The Japanese city Handa is founded in Aichi Prefecture. 1949 – The People's Republic of China is established and declared by Mao Zedong. 1964 – Japanese Shinkansen ("bullet trains") begin high-speed rail service from Tokyo to Osaka. 1979 – Pope John Paul II begins his first pastoral visit to the United States. 1992 – Cartoon Network begins broadcasting. 2013 – The U.S. federal government shuts down non-essential services after it is unable to pass a budget measure.