On this date in history:

In 1836, Mexican forces captured the Alamo in San Antonio, killing the last of 187 defenders who had held out in the fortified Texas mission for 13 days. Frontiersman Davy Crockett was among those killed on the final day.

In 1853, La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi premiered in Venice, Italy.

In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark ruling that slave Dred Scott couldn't sue for his freedom in a federal court, even though his white owner had died in a free state.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. bombers flying from Britain began the first daytime attacks on Berlin.

In 1967, Svetlana Alliluyeva, Joseph Stalin's daughter, defected to the United States.

In 1981, Walter Cronkite signed off from the CBS Evening News for the final time after 19 years at the anchor's desk.

In 1982, an Egyptian court sentenced five Muslim fundamentalists to death for the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. Seventeen others drew prison terms.

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared the Persian Gulf War over.

In 2006, officials said 2005 was the costliest hurricane season in U.S. history. Katrina, Rita and Wilma were among the storms that year.

In 2013, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he had no plans to return to public life but would consider doing so out of duty, solely for the sake of France.

In 2014, Boeing said it would end pension plans for 68,000 non-union employees by 2016, switching to 401k plans.

Copyright 2015 by United Press International