Today in History

Today in History

1812 – Napoleon defeated the Russian army of Alexander I at the battle of Borodino.

1813 – The nickname 'Uncle Sam' was first used as a symbolic reference to the United States. The reference appeared in an editorial in the New York's Troy Post.

1822 – Brazil declared its independence from Portugal.

1880 – George Ligowsky was granted a patent for his device that threw clay pigeons for trapshooters.

1888 – Edith Eleanor McLean became the first baby to be placed in an incubator.

1896 – A.H. Whiting won the first automobile race held on a racetrack. The race was held in Cranston, RI.

1901 – The Boxer Rebellion began in China ending the Peace of Beijing.

1915 – Johnny Gruelle received a patent for his Raggedy Ann doll. (U.S. Patent D47789)

1921 – Margaret Gorman of Washington, DC, was crowned the first Miss America in Atlantic City, NJ.

1927 – Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using an image dissector.

1930 – The cartoon 'Blondie' made its first appearance in the comic strips.

1940 – London received its initial rain of bombs from Nazi Germany during World War II.

1942 – During World War II, the Russian army counter attacked the German troops outside the city of Stalingrad.

1963 – The National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, OH.

1966 – The final episode of the original 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was aired on CBS-TV.

1971 – 'The Beverly Hillbillies' was seen for the final time on CBS-TV.

1977 – The Panama Canal treaties were signed by U.S. President Carter and General Omar Torrijos Herrera. The treaties called for the U.S. to turn over control of the canal's waterway to Panama in the year 2000.

1979 – ESPN, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, made its debut on cable TV.

1983 – In Ireland, voters approved a constitutional ammendment that banned abortion.

1984 – American Express Co. issued the first of its Platinum charge cards.

1986 – Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins threw his

100th career touchdown pass, in only his 44th NFL game, which set a NFL record.

1986 – Desmond Tutu was the first black to be installed to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa.

1987 – Erich Honecker became the first East German head of state to visit West Germany.

1989 – Legislation was approved by the U.S. Senate that prohibited discrimination against the handicapped in employment, public accommodations, transportation and communications.

1995 – U.S. Senator Bob Packwood announced that he would resign after 27 years in the Senate.

1998 – Mark McGwire set a new major league baseball record for most homeruns hit in a single season. The previous record was 61 set in 1961.

1999 – Viacom Inc. announced that it had plans to buy CBS Corp.

2001 – Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) became the only the fifth player in major league baseball history to hit 60 home runs in a season. (California)

Born

1533 Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1558-1603), led her country during the exploration of the New World and war with Spain.

1860 Anna Marie Robertson (Grandma Moses), American folk painter who started her career at age 78, best known for her paintings of rural life.

1860 Edith Sitwell, poet.

1900 Taylor Caldwell, novelist.

1909 Elia Kazan, producer, screenwriter and director who won directing Oscars for Gentleman’s Agreement and On the Waterfront.

1914 James Alfred Van Allen, discovered and named the two radiation belts surrounding the Earth.

1930 Sonny Rollins, saxophonist.

1936 Buddy Holly, singer, songwriter, rock ‘n roll pioneer.

1943 Beverley McLachlin, first woman to serve as Chief Justice of Canada.

1949 Gloria Gaynor, Grammy Award–winning singer (“I Will Survive”).

History