During his State of the Union address, President James Monroe announces the Monroe Doctrine, which condemned any European imperial incursions into the Americas. Crafted by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the Monroe Doctrine set a precedent for American intervention on behalf of its Pan-American neighbors.
Abolitionist John Brown hanged in Charles Town, Virginia (present-day West Virginia) for murder, conspiracy, and treason following his failed assault on Harpers Ferry.
Enrico Fermi conducts first successful nuclear reactor test
Dr. Enrico Fermi conducts the first successful demonstration of a nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago football stadium. The reactor, code-named Chicago Pile-1, was a Manhattan Project test to simulate a critical man-made nuclear reaction.
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