US By korey.270 Oct 24, 1497 Italian born John Cabot claims North America for England Period: Oct 24, 1497 to Oct 24, 2003 US Oct 24, 1524 Jacques Cartier of France explores the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River Oct 24, 1607 Captain John Smith founds the English colony of Jamestown Oct 24, 1609 Henry Hudson explores Northeastern North America including the Hudson River Oct 24, 1763 Treaty of Paris ends French and Indian war Oct 24, 1776 Colonists declare their independence from England with the Decloration Of Independence Oct 24, 1803 Luisianna Purchase Treaty signed with France Oct 24, 1812 War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain Oct 24, 1846 Oregon Treaty signed and the boundary between Canada and the United States is established at the 49th parallel (line of latitude) Oct 24, 1861 Civil War begins Oct 24, 1865 Civil War ends Oct 24, 1867 Alaska is purchased from Russia Oct 24, 1869 Gold is Discovered in the Yukon's Klondike Oct 24, 1917 United States enters WW1 fighting with the British and French Oct 24, 1929 Great Deppresion begins in the U.S. Oct 24, 1941 Japan Attacks U.S. at Pearl Harbor, U.S. enters WWII with the Allies Oct 24, 1945 U.S. drops attomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagaski Oct 24, 1969 Neil Armstrong is first to walk on the moon Oct 24, 1989 United States sign a Free Trade Agreement with Canada Oct 24, 1991 Persian Golf War Oct 24, 1994 North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is signed between Canada, the United States, and Mexico Oct 24, 2003 Occupation if Iraq by the United States