In 1821, the Greeks began their War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, leading to the eventual formation of modern Greece. In 1938, the Great New England Hurricane struck the northeastern United States, causing widespread devastation and becoming one of the region's most destructive storms. In 1942, during World War II, the Battle of Los Angeles occurred when anti-aircraft artillery was fired at what was believed to be an enemy attack, later deemed a false alarm. In 1956, the first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Switzerland, marking the beginning of one of the world's longest-running international music competitions. In 1971, the first email was sent by Ray Tomlinson, choosing the "@" symbol to separate the user's name from the computer hosting the email.