The incident at the Yellow House

Vincent van Gogh cut off part of his own left ear on this day in 1888 after a heated argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, with whom he had been sharing a house in the south of France. Van Gogh reportedly then delivered his ear to a nearby brothel. Art historians have debated the incident for decades. 1888. 

Argentina announced the suspension of payments on its external debt—the biggest debt default in history to date. 2001. 

Eighty-two crewmen of the USS Pueblo were released after being held in captivity for 11 months by North Korea, which claimed the U.S. Navy intelligence ship had crossed into its waters. 1968. 

Early in World War II, invading Japanese forces defeated U.S. troops at the Battle of Wake Island. 1941. 

The first comprehensive constitution of the Ottoman Empire went into effect, giving the sultan full executive power. 1876.