Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sea Beggars, Copperheads, Jayhawks, Sea People. History is filled with groups of people who get interesting names.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Indeed! The funny thing is that many times the names started out as a pejorative hurled at the people in question who then took the name and used it as a matter of pride.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1453 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (İstanbul), which falls May 29.
1792 - The U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act to regulate the coins of the United States. The act authorized $10 Eagles, $5 Half Eagles, $2.50 Quarter Eagle gold coins, silver dollars, dollars, quarters, dimes and half-dimes to be minted.
1801 - During the Napoleonic Wars, the Danish fleet was destroyed by the British at the Battle of Copenhagen.
1865 - Confederate President Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, VA.
1902 - The first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles with the name Electric Theatre.
1910 - Karl Harris perfected the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber.
1914 - The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced plans to divide the country into 12 districts.
1917 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson presented a declaration of war against Germany to the U.S. Congress.
1932 - A $50,000 ransom was paid for the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh. He child was not returned and was found dead the next month.
1935 - Sir Watson-Watt was granted a patent for RADAR.
1951 - U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower assumed command of all allied forces in the Western Mediterranean area and Europe.
1958 - The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.
1963 - Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King began the first non-violent campaign in Birmingham, AL.
1982 - Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands. The following June Britain took the islands back.
1986 - On a TWA airliner flying from Rome to Athens a bomb exploded under a seat killing four Americans.
1792 - The U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act to regulate the coins of the United States. The act authorized $10 Eagles, $5 Half Eagles, $2.50 Quarter Eagle gold coins, silver dollars, dollars, quarters, dimes and half-dimes to be minted.
1801 - During the Napoleonic Wars, the Danish fleet was destroyed by the British at the Battle of Copenhagen.
1865 - Confederate President Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, VA.
1902 - The first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles with the name Electric Theatre.
1910 - Karl Harris perfected the process for the artificial synthesis of rubber.
1914 - The U.S. Federal Reserve Board announced plans to divide the country into 12 districts.
1917 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson presented a declaration of war against Germany to the U.S. Congress.
1932 - A $50,000 ransom was paid for the infant son of Charles and Anna Lindbergh. He child was not returned and was found dead the next month.
1935 - Sir Watson-Watt was granted a patent for RADAR.
1951 - U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower assumed command of all allied forces in the Western Mediterranean area and Europe.
1958 - The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.
1963 - Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King began the first non-violent campaign in Birmingham, AL.
1982 - Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands. The following June Britain took the islands back.
1986 - On a TWA airliner flying from Rome to Athens a bomb exploded under a seat killing four Americans.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1645 - English Long Parliament passes the Self-Denying Ordinance, limiting regional armies, significant step toward New Model Army.
1776 - George Washington received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard College . Back when a degree from Harvard was worth the sheep that provided the skin.
1829 - James Carrington patented the coffee mill. Man deserves a Congressional Gold Medal.
1860 - The first Pony Express riders left St. Joseph, MO and Sacramento, CA. The trip across country took about 10 days. The Pony Express only lasted about a year and a half.
1865 - Union forces occupy Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
1866 - Rudolph Eickemeyer and G. Osterheld patented a blocking and shaping machine for hats. Tis a great day for coffee and fedoras!
1882 - The American outlaw Jesse James was shot in the back and killed by Robert Ford for a $5,000 reward. There was later controversy over whether it was actually Jesse James that had been killed.
1910 - Alaska's Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America was climbed.
1936 - Richard Bruno Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and death of the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh.
1942 - The Japanese began their all-out assault on the U.S. and Filipino troops at Bataan.
1946 - Lt. General Masaharu Homma, the Japanese commander responsible for the Bataan Death March, was executed in the Philippines. May he roast in peace.
1948 - U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan to revive war-torn Europe. It was $5 billion in aid for 16 countries.
1967 - The U.S. State Department said that Hanoi might be brainwashing American prisoners.
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "mountaintop" speech just 24 hours before he was assassinated.
1968 - North Vietnam agreed to meet with U.S. representatives to set up preliminary peace talks.
1776 - George Washington received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Harvard College . Back when a degree from Harvard was worth the sheep that provided the skin.
1829 - James Carrington patented the coffee mill. Man deserves a Congressional Gold Medal.
1860 - The first Pony Express riders left St. Joseph, MO and Sacramento, CA. The trip across country took about 10 days. The Pony Express only lasted about a year and a half.
1865 - Union forces occupy Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
1866 - Rudolph Eickemeyer and G. Osterheld patented a blocking and shaping machine for hats. Tis a great day for coffee and fedoras!
1882 - The American outlaw Jesse James was shot in the back and killed by Robert Ford for a $5,000 reward. There was later controversy over whether it was actually Jesse James that had been killed.
1910 - Alaska's Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America was climbed.
1936 - Richard Bruno Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and death of the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh.
1942 - The Japanese began their all-out assault on the U.S. and Filipino troops at Bataan.
1946 - Lt. General Masaharu Homma, the Japanese commander responsible for the Bataan Death March, was executed in the Philippines. May he roast in peace.
1948 - U.S. President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan to revive war-torn Europe. It was $5 billion in aid for 16 countries.
1967 - The U.S. State Department said that Hanoi might be brainwashing American prisoners.
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "mountaintop" speech just 24 hours before he was assassinated.
1968 - North Vietnam agreed to meet with U.S. representatives to set up preliminary peace talks.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1541 - Ignatius of Loyola became the first superior-general of the Jesuits.
1581 - Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. A few months earlier he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world.
1655 - Battle at Postage Farina, Tunis. An English fleet defeats a force of Barbary pirates.
1687 - King James II ordered that his declaration of indulgence be read in church. This was an attempt to insure religious tolerance in the realm. Wasn't overly popular with most of the subjects of the Kingdom at the time.
1789 - 1ST US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC (ending 1791).
1812 - The territory of Orleans became the 18th U.S. state and will become known as Louisiana.
1818 - A plan was passed by the U.S. Congress that the U.S. flag would have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars and that a new star would be added for the each new state.
1841 - U.S. President William Henry Harrison, at the age of 68, became the first president to die in office. He had been sworn in only a month before he died of pneumonia.
1862 - In the U.S., the Battle of Yorktown began as Union General George B. McClellan closed in on Richmond, VA.
1902 - British Financier Cecil Rhodes left $10 million in his will that would provide scholarships for Americans to Oxford University in England.
1917 - The U.S. Senate voted 90-6 to enter World War I on the Allied side.
1918 - The Battle of Somme, an offensive by the British against the German Army ended.
1945 - Hungary was liberated from Nazi occupation.
1945 - During World War II, U.S. forces liberated the Nazi death camp Ohrdruf in Germany. This was a sub-camp of Buchenwald.
1949 - Twelve nations signed a treaty to create The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
1953 - Fifteen doctors were released by Soviet leaders. The doctors had been arrested before Stalin had died and were accused of plotting against him.
1968 - DR Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the age of 39.
1973 - In New York, the original World Trade Center twin towers opened. At the time they were the tallest building in the world.
1975 - More than 130 people, most of them children, were killed when a U.S. Air Force transport plane evacuating Vietnamese orphans crashed just after takeoff from Saigon.
1984 - U.S. President Reagan proposed an international ban on chemical weapons.
1581 - Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I. A few months earlier he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world.
1655 - Battle at Postage Farina, Tunis. An English fleet defeats a force of Barbary pirates.
1687 - King James II ordered that his declaration of indulgence be read in church. This was an attempt to insure religious tolerance in the realm. Wasn't overly popular with most of the subjects of the Kingdom at the time.
1789 - 1ST US Congress begins regular sessions during George Washington's presidency at Federal Hall, NYC (ending 1791).
1812 - The territory of Orleans became the 18th U.S. state and will become known as Louisiana.
1818 - A plan was passed by the U.S. Congress that the U.S. flag would have 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars and that a new star would be added for the each new state.
1841 - U.S. President William Henry Harrison, at the age of 68, became the first president to die in office. He had been sworn in only a month before he died of pneumonia.
1862 - In the U.S., the Battle of Yorktown began as Union General George B. McClellan closed in on Richmond, VA.
1902 - British Financier Cecil Rhodes left $10 million in his will that would provide scholarships for Americans to Oxford University in England.
1917 - The U.S. Senate voted 90-6 to enter World War I on the Allied side.
1918 - The Battle of Somme, an offensive by the British against the German Army ended.
1945 - Hungary was liberated from Nazi occupation.
1945 - During World War II, U.S. forces liberated the Nazi death camp Ohrdruf in Germany. This was a sub-camp of Buchenwald.
1949 - Twelve nations signed a treaty to create The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
1953 - Fifteen doctors were released by Soviet leaders. The doctors had been arrested before Stalin had died and were accused of plotting against him.
1968 - DR Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the age of 39.
1973 - In New York, the original World Trade Center twin towers opened. At the time they were the tallest building in the world.
1975 - More than 130 people, most of them children, were killed when a U.S. Air Force transport plane evacuating Vietnamese orphans crashed just after takeoff from Saigon.
1984 - U.S. President Reagan proposed an international ban on chemical weapons.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1242 - Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod defeats Teutonic Knights in the Battle of the Ice. The battle was largely fought on the surface of a frozen lake giving it the distinctive name.
1614 - American Indian Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia.
1722 - Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.
1792 - U.S. President George Washington cast the first presidential veto. The measure was for apportioning representatives among the states.
1843 - Queen Victoria proclaimed Hong Kong to be a British crown colony.
1869 - Daniel Bakeman, the last surviving soldier of the U.S. Revolutionary War, died at the age of 109.
1892 - In New York, the Ithaca Daily Journal published an ad introducing a new 10 cent Ice Cream Specialty called a Cherry Sunday. This confection was a work around Blue laws preventing the sale of ice cream sodas on Sundays.
1923 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began the first regular production of balloon tires.
1941 - German commandos secured docks along the Danube River in preparation for Germany’s invasion of the Balkans.
1955 - Winston Churchill resigned as British prime minister.
1986 - A discotheque in Berlin was bombed by Libyan terrorists. The U.S. attacked Libya with warplanes in retaliation on April 15, 1986.
1614 - American Indian Pocahontas married English colonist John Rolfe in Virginia.
1722 - Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.
1792 - U.S. President George Washington cast the first presidential veto. The measure was for apportioning representatives among the states.
1843 - Queen Victoria proclaimed Hong Kong to be a British crown colony.
1869 - Daniel Bakeman, the last surviving soldier of the U.S. Revolutionary War, died at the age of 109.
1892 - In New York, the Ithaca Daily Journal published an ad introducing a new 10 cent Ice Cream Specialty called a Cherry Sunday. This confection was a work around Blue laws preventing the sale of ice cream sodas on Sundays.
1923 - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company began the first regular production of balloon tires.
1941 - German commandos secured docks along the Danube River in preparation for Germany’s invasion of the Balkans.
1955 - Winston Churchill resigned as British prime minister.
1986 - A discotheque in Berlin was bombed by Libyan terrorists. The U.S. attacked Libya with warplanes in retaliation on April 15, 1986.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus.
1199 - English King Richard I was killed by an arrow at the siege of the castle of Chaluz in France.
1607 - An expedition led by Captain Christopher Newport arrived at the Spanish colony of Puerto Rico for supplies before continuing on their journey. On May 14, they went ashore and founded Jamestown, Virginia, as the first permanent English colony in America.
1652 - Cape Colony, the 1st European settlement in South Africa, established by Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck.
1789 - The first U.S. Congress began regular sessions at the Federal Hall in New York City.
1814 - Granted sovereignty in the island of Elba and a pension from the French government, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates at Fountainebleau. He was allowed to keep the title of emperor.
1830 - Joseph Smith and five others organized the Mormon Church in western New York.
1830 - Relations between the Texans and Mexico reached a new low when Mexico would not allow further emigration into Texas by settlers from the U.S.
1862 - The American Civil War Battle of Shiloh began in Tennessee.
1865 - At the Battle of Sayler's Creek, a third of Lee's army was cut off by Union troops pursuing him to Appomattox.
1903 - French Army Nationalists were revealed for forging documents to guarantee a conviction for Alfred Dreyfus.
1909 - Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson claimed to be the first men to reach the North Pole.
1917 - The U.S. Congress approved a declaration of war on Germany and entered World War I on the Allied side.
1924 - Four planes left Seattle on the first successful flight around the world. The birds were Douglas World Cruisers modified single engine biplane bombers flown by members of the US Army Air Corps. A restored Douglas World Cruiser may be seen at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
1927 - William P. MacCracken, Jr. earned license number ‘1’ when the Department of Commerce issued the first aviator’s license.
1941 - German forces invaded Greece and Yugoslavia.
1965 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized the use of ground troops in combat operations in Vietnam.
1983 - The U.S. Veteran's Administration announced it would give free medical care for conditions traceable to radiation exposure to more than 220,000 veterans who participated in nuclear tests from 1945 to 1962.
1988 - Mathew Henson was awarded honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Henson had discovered the North Pole with Robert Peary.
1199 - English King Richard I was killed by an arrow at the siege of the castle of Chaluz in France.
1607 - An expedition led by Captain Christopher Newport arrived at the Spanish colony of Puerto Rico for supplies before continuing on their journey. On May 14, they went ashore and founded Jamestown, Virginia, as the first permanent English colony in America.
1652 - Cape Colony, the 1st European settlement in South Africa, established by Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck.
1789 - The first U.S. Congress began regular sessions at the Federal Hall in New York City.
1814 - Granted sovereignty in the island of Elba and a pension from the French government, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates at Fountainebleau. He was allowed to keep the title of emperor.
1830 - Joseph Smith and five others organized the Mormon Church in western New York.
1830 - Relations between the Texans and Mexico reached a new low when Mexico would not allow further emigration into Texas by settlers from the U.S.
1862 - The American Civil War Battle of Shiloh began in Tennessee.
1865 - At the Battle of Sayler's Creek, a third of Lee's army was cut off by Union troops pursuing him to Appomattox.
1903 - French Army Nationalists were revealed for forging documents to guarantee a conviction for Alfred Dreyfus.
1909 - Americans Robert Peary and Matthew Henson claimed to be the first men to reach the North Pole.
1917 - The U.S. Congress approved a declaration of war on Germany and entered World War I on the Allied side.
1924 - Four planes left Seattle on the first successful flight around the world. The birds were Douglas World Cruisers modified single engine biplane bombers flown by members of the US Army Air Corps. A restored Douglas World Cruiser may be seen at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
1927 - William P. MacCracken, Jr. earned license number ‘1’ when the Department of Commerce issued the first aviator’s license.
1941 - German forces invaded Greece and Yugoslavia.
1965 - U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized the use of ground troops in combat operations in Vietnam.
1983 - The U.S. Veteran's Administration announced it would give free medical care for conditions traceable to radiation exposure to more than 220,000 veterans who participated in nuclear tests from 1945 to 1962.
1988 - Mathew Henson was awarded honors in Arlington National Cemetery. Henson had discovered the North Pole with Robert Peary.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (fundamental work in jurisprudence) issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I.
1712 - A slave revolt broke out in New York City.
1798 - The territory of Mississippi was organized.
1862 - Union General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh, TN.
1922 - U.S. Secretary of Interior leased Teapot Dome naval oil reserves in Wyoming.
1927 - The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York City. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover.
1927 - The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York City. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover. This was done by a technology called "Mechanical Television".
1930 - The first steel columns were set for the Empire State Building.
1933 - Prohibition ended in the United States. Yeehawwwww!
1943 - British and American armies linked up between Wadi Akarit and El Guettar in North Africa to form a solid line against the German army.
1945 - The Japanese battleship Yamato, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk during the battle for Okinawa. The fleet was headed for a suicide mission.
1948 - World Health Organization formed by the United Nations.
1963 - Yugoslavia proclaimed itself a Socialist republic. Josip Broz Tito was proclaimed to be the leader of Yugoslavia for life. What!?! Socialism led to totalitarianism!?! Cue Captain Renault because I'm shocked.
1970 - John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for his role in "True Grit." He had been in over 200 films.
1980 - The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran and imposed economic sanctions in response to the taking of hostages on November 4, 1979.
1988 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to final terms of a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Soviet troops began leaving on May 16, 1988.
1712 - A slave revolt broke out in New York City.
1798 - The territory of Mississippi was organized.
1862 - Union General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh, TN.
1922 - U.S. Secretary of Interior leased Teapot Dome naval oil reserves in Wyoming.
1927 - The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York City. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover.
1927 - The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington, DC, to New York City. The audience saw an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover. This was done by a technology called "Mechanical Television".
1930 - The first steel columns were set for the Empire State Building.
1933 - Prohibition ended in the United States. Yeehawwwww!
1943 - British and American armies linked up between Wadi Akarit and El Guettar in North Africa to form a solid line against the German army.
1945 - The Japanese battleship Yamato, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk during the battle for Okinawa. The fleet was headed for a suicide mission.
1948 - World Health Organization formed by the United Nations.
1963 - Yugoslavia proclaimed itself a Socialist republic. Josip Broz Tito was proclaimed to be the leader of Yugoslavia for life. What!?! Socialism led to totalitarianism!?! Cue Captain Renault because I'm shocked.
1970 - John Wayne won his first and only Oscar for his role in "True Grit." He had been in over 200 films.
1980 - The U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Iran and imposed economic sanctions in response to the taking of hostages on November 4, 1979.
1988 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to final terms of a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Soviet troops began leaving on May 16, 1988.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1513 - Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain.
1525 - Albert von Brandenburg, the leader of the Teutonic Order, assumes the title "Duke of Prussia" and passed the first laws of the Protestant church, making Prussia a Protestant state.
1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives held its first meeting.
1832 - About 300 American troops of the 6th Infantry left Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, to confront the Sauk Indians in the Black Hawk War.
1864 - The U.S. Senate passed the 13th Amendment (S.J. Res. 16) by a vote of 38 to 6 ending slavery in America.
1886 - William Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
1913 - The Seventeenth amendment was ratified, requiring direct election of senators.
1939 - Italy invaded Albania.
1942 - The Soviets opened a rail link to the besieged city of Leningrad.
1946 - The League of Nations assembled in Geneva for the last time.
1953 - The bones of Sitting Bull were moved from North Dakota to South Dakota.
1962 - Bay of Pigs invaders got thirty years imprisonment in Cuba.
1985 - India filed suit against Union Carbide for the Bhopal disaster.
1986 - Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, CA.
1525 - Albert von Brandenburg, the leader of the Teutonic Order, assumes the title "Duke of Prussia" and passed the first laws of the Protestant church, making Prussia a Protestant state.
1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives held its first meeting.
1832 - About 300 American troops of the 6th Infantry left Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, to confront the Sauk Indians in the Black Hawk War.
1864 - The U.S. Senate passed the 13th Amendment (S.J. Res. 16) by a vote of 38 to 6 ending slavery in America.
1886 - William Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
1913 - The Seventeenth amendment was ratified, requiring direct election of senators.
1939 - Italy invaded Albania.
1942 - The Soviets opened a rail link to the besieged city of Leningrad.
1946 - The League of Nations assembled in Geneva for the last time.
1953 - The bones of Sitting Bull were moved from North Dakota to South Dakota.
1962 - Bay of Pigs invaders got thirty years imprisonment in Cuba.
1985 - India filed suit against Union Carbide for the Bhopal disaster.
1986 - Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, CA.
Re: Today in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
193 - In the Balkans, the distinguished soldier Septimius Seversus was proclaimed emperor by the army in Illyricum.
715 - Constantine ended his reign as Catholic Pope.
1241 - In the Battle of Liegnitz, Mongol armies defeated the Poles and the Germans.
1483 Edward V (aged 12) succeeds his father Edward IV as king of England. He is never crowned, and disappears presumed murdered, after incarceration in the Tower of London with his younger brother Richard (the "Princes in the Tower")
1682 - Robert La Salle claimed the lower Mississippi River and all lands that touch it for France.
1770 - Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent.
1731 - British mariner Robert Jenkins' ear is cut off by Spanish Guarde Costa in the Caribbean, later catalyst for war between Britain and Spain.
1768 - John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies.
1865 - At Appomattox Court House, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of Wilmer McClean's home. Grant allowed Rebel officers to keep their sidearms and permitted soldiers to keep their horses and mules. Though there were still Confederate armies in the field, the war was officially over. The four years of fighting had killed 360,000 Union troops and 260,000 Confederate troops.
1866 - The Civil Rights Bill passed over U.S. President Andrew Johnson's veto.
1867 - The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty with Russia that purchased the territory of Alaska by one vote.
1912 - The first exhibition baseball game was held at Fenway Park in Boston. The game was between Red Sox and Harvard.
1916 - The German army launched it’s third offensive during the Battle of Verdun.
1917 - The Battle of Arras began as Canadian troops began a massive assault on Vimy Ridge.
1940 - Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.
1942 - In the Battle of Bataan, American and Filipino forces were overwhelmed by the Japanese Army.
1945 - At Bari, Italy, the Liberty exploded and killed 360 people. The ship was carrying aerial bombs.
1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts.
1963 - Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen.
1981 - The U.S. Submarine George Washington struck and sunk a small Japanese freighter in the East China Sea. The Nissho Maru's captain and first mate died.
715 - Constantine ended his reign as Catholic Pope.
1241 - In the Battle of Liegnitz, Mongol armies defeated the Poles and the Germans.
1483 Edward V (aged 12) succeeds his father Edward IV as king of England. He is never crowned, and disappears presumed murdered, after incarceration in the Tower of London with his younger brother Richard (the "Princes in the Tower")
1682 - Robert La Salle claimed the lower Mississippi River and all lands that touch it for France.
1770 - Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent.
1731 - British mariner Robert Jenkins' ear is cut off by Spanish Guarde Costa in the Caribbean, later catalyst for war between Britain and Spain.
1768 - John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies.
1865 - At Appomattox Court House, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of Wilmer McClean's home. Grant allowed Rebel officers to keep their sidearms and permitted soldiers to keep their horses and mules. Though there were still Confederate armies in the field, the war was officially over. The four years of fighting had killed 360,000 Union troops and 260,000 Confederate troops.
1866 - The Civil Rights Bill passed over U.S. President Andrew Johnson's veto.
1867 - The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty with Russia that purchased the territory of Alaska by one vote.
1912 - The first exhibition baseball game was held at Fenway Park in Boston. The game was between Red Sox and Harvard.
1916 - The German army launched it’s third offensive during the Battle of Verdun.
1917 - The Battle of Arras began as Canadian troops began a massive assault on Vimy Ridge.
1940 - Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.
1942 - In the Battle of Bataan, American and Filipino forces were overwhelmed by the Japanese Army.
1945 - At Bari, Italy, the Liberty exploded and killed 360 people. The ship was carrying aerial bombs.
1959 - NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts.
1963 - Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen.
1981 - The U.S. Submarine George Washington struck and sunk a small Japanese freighter in the East China Sea. The Nissho Maru's captain and first mate died.