In a major upset, Republican Scott Brown captured the U.S.Senate seat held by liberal champion Edward Kennedy for nearly half a century as he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election.
Turkish journalist Hrant Dink is assassinated. The murderer was a 17-year old Turkish nationalist who disagreed with Dink's view on the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
Peninsular War: After a ten day siege, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, orders British soldiers of the Light and third divisions to storm Ciudad Rodrigo.