31st January 1865: Thirteenth Amendment passed by the US Congress to formally abolish slavery

It was sent to the states for ratification the next day, a process that was concluded on 6 December after the necessary three-quarters of states approved it.

16th January 1919: Nebraska becomes the vital 36th of the 48 states to approve prohibition in the 18th Amendment

Nationwide prohibition began on 17 January the following year, and existed until its repeal by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.