1945: The U.S. Sixth Army lands at Lingayen Gulf in Japanese-occupied Luzon, Philippines.
Read more about the events that led up to the Battle of Luzon on HistoryNet.com.
Also today in history, in the U.S. and elsewhere:
1760: Ahmad Shah Durrani (popularly regarded as the founder of the modern Afghan state) and his Pashtuns defeat the Marathas in the Battle of Barari Ghat.
1863: Union gunboats begin the two-day Battle of Arkansas Post, which ended in the seizure of Fort Hindman and its garrison. Check out HistoryNet.com's chronology of Civil War battles.
1918: Elements of the 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment engage some 30 armed Yaquis blocking a border point between Arizona and Mexico. In the ensuing Battle of Bear Valley, the Yaqui leader was killed and nine warriors taken prisoner; the rest conduct a successful fighting retreat over the border. This skirmish marked the last time that U.S. soldiers engaged Native Americans, officially bringing the Indian Wars to an end.
