This Day in History

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 17 1955 Disneyland opens Disneyland, Walt Disney's metropolis of nostalgia, fantasy and futurism, opens on July 17, 1955. The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and soon brought in staggering profits. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 18 million visitors a year, who... read more 1990s 1996 TWA Flight 800 explodes midair 21st CENTURY 2014 Eric Garner dies in NYPD chokehold 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down in Russian-controlled area of Ukraine Art, Literature and Film History 1967 Jimi Hendrix drops out as opening act for The Monkees BLACK HISTORY 2020 Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis dies EARLY U.S. 1763 John Jacob Astor is born EUROPEAN HISTORY 1936 Spanish Civil War breaks out Exploration 1938 Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan crosses the Atlantic Inventions & Science 1920 Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin born Space Exploration 1975 Superpowers meet in space Sports 1941 Joe DiMaggio ends 56-game hitting streak U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1984 Jesse Jackson delivers “Rainbow Coalition” speech at DNC U.S. Presidents 1945 President Harry Truman records his impressions of meeting Stalin WORLD WAR I 1917 Britain’s King George V changes royal surname World War II 1944 An ammunition ship explodes in the Port Chicago disaster 1945 Potsdam Conference begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 18 1940 FDR nominated for unprecedented third term On July 18, 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who first took office in 1933 as America's 32nd president, is nominated for an unprecedented third term. Roosevelt, a Democrat, would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office, the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms... read more 1960s 1969 Senator Ted Kennedy drives car off bridge at Chappaquiddick Island American Revolution 1792 Naval hero John Paul Jones dies in Paris Art, Literature and Film History 1989 Sitcom actress murdered; death prompts anti-stalking legislation 1995 Barack Obama's "Dreams from My Father" is published Civil War 1863 Robert Gould Shaw leads Black infantry's doomed assault on Fort Wagner Crime 1984 Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald's EUROPEAN HISTORY 1925 Hitler's "Mein Kampf" is published Inventions & Science 1986 Video of Titanic wreckage released SPORTS 1976 Gymnast Nadia Comăneci scores first perfect “10” in Olympic history U.S. Presidents 1947 Harry S. Truman signs second Presidential Succession Act WOMEN'S HISTORY 1947 First female army officer is commissioned

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 19 1848 Seneca Falls Convention begins At the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, a woman’s rights convention—the first ever held in the United States—convenes with almost 200 women in attendance. The convention was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two abolitionists who met at the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Convention in London... read more ANCIENT ROME 64 Nero’s Rome burns Cold War 1956 United States withdraws offer of aid for Aswan Dam Crime 1879 Doc Holliday kills for the first time EUROPEAN HISTORY 1553 Lady Jane Grey deposed as Queen of England Inventions & Science 1942 George Washington Carver begins experimental project with Henry Ford World War II 1943 America bombs Rome

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 20 1969 Neil Armstrong walks on moon At 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, speaks these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on... read more 19th CENTURY 1889 Homesteaders murdered by Wyoming ranchers Art, Literature and Film History 1963 Jan and Dean's "Surf City" hits #1 1973 Actor and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee dies at age 32 1988 “Die Hard” debuts, makes Bruce Willis a movie star Cold War 1948 President Truman issues peacetime draft Crime 1984 A serial-killing couple is apprehended 2012 Aurora shooting leaves 12 dead, 70 wounded Native American History 1881 Sitting Bull surrenders Natural Disasters & Environment 1977 A flood hits Johnstown—again Space Exploration 1976 Viking 1 lands on Mars U.S. Presidents 1969 President Nixon watches first lunar landing World War II 1944 Assassination plot against Hitler fails

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 21 1861 The First Battle of Bull Run In the first major land battle of the Civil War, a large Union force under General Irvin McDowell is routed by a Confederate army under General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Three months after the Civil War erupted at Fort Sumter, Union military command still believed that the Confederacy could be crushed... read more 19th CENTURY 1865 Wild Bill Hickok fights in first quick-draw western shootout African History 1970 Aswan High Dam completed Art, Literature and Film History 1899 Ernest Hemingway is born 2007 Final Harry Potter book released Cold War 1955 President Eisenhower presents his "Open Skies" plan Crime 1925 “Trial of the Century” reaches final day, draws unprecedented attention European history 2005 Bombers attempt to attack London transit system Inventions & Science 1960 Germany passes controversial "Volkswagen Law" Natural Disasters & Environment 365 Tsunami hits Alexandria, Egypt Space Exploration 2011 NASA's final space shuttle mission comes to an end World War II 1944 Hitler to Germany: “I am unhurt”

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 22 2003 Jessica Lynch gets hero's welcome On July 22, 2003, U.S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a prisoner-of-war who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, receives a hero's welcome when she returns to her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia. The story of the 19-year-old supply clerk, who was captured by Iraqi forces in March 2003, gripped America... read more 21st CENTURY 2003 Qusay and Uday Hussein killed Art, Literature and Film History 2005 "March of the Penguins" released widely in the U.S. Civil War 1864 Battle of Atlanta Cold War 1987 Gorbachev accepts ban on intermediate-range nuclear missiles Crime 1934 John Dillinger gunned down 1991 Cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is caught EUROPEAN HISTORY 2013 Prince George, first child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, is born Exploration 1933 Wiley Post flies solo around the world U.S. Presidents 1862 Lincoln tells his cabinet about Emancipation Proclamation World War I 1916 Preparedness Day bombing in San Francisco World War II 1942 Deportations from Warsaw ghetto to Treblinka begin

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 23 1885 Former president Ulysses S. Grant dies On July 23, 1885, just after completing his memoirs, Civil War hero and former president Ulysses S. Grant dies of throat cancer. The son of a tanner, Grant showed little enthusiasm for joining his father's business, so the elder Grant enrolled his son at West Point in 1839. Though Grant later admitted... read more 1960s 1967 Detroit Riots of 1967 begin 1980s 1984 Miss America resigns over nude photos AFRICAN HISTORY 1952 Military seizes power in Egypt Art, Literature and Film History 1982 Actor and two children killed on "Twilight Zone" set 1988 Guns N' Roses make popular breakthrough with "Sweet Child O' Mine" 1999 Woodstock ’99 begins Crime 1918 Nebraska serial killer poisons her first victim 1923 John Dillinger joins the Navy in an attempt to avoid prosecution Sports 1996 U.S. women take home gymnastics gold World War I 1914 Austria-Hungary issues ultimatum to Serbia

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 24 1911 American historian encounters Machu Picchu ruins On July 24, 1911, American history scholar Hiram Bingham gets his first look at the ruins of Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the world's top tourist destinations. Tucked away in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu is believed to have been ... read more 19th CENTURY 1847 Religious pioneers settle Salt Lake Valley American Revolution 1776 John Hancock scolds Major General Philip Schuyler 1779 Massachusetts begins ill-fated Penobscot Expedition Art, Literature and Film History 1901 Short story writer O. Henry is released from prison 1982 "Eye Of The Tiger" from "Rocky III" tops the U.S. pop charts 1998 "Saving Private Ryan" opens in theaters Cold War 1959 Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev have a "kitchen debate" EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1915 Hundreds drown in Eastland disaster EUROPEAN HISTORY 1567 Mary Queen of Scots deposed Space Exploration 1969 Apollo 11 safely returns to Earth Sports 2005 Lance Armstrong wins seventh Tour de France World War II 1943 Operation Gomorrah is launched 1945 Truman hints to Stalin about a new weapon “of unusual destructive force”

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 25 1978 World's first "test tube" baby born On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first baby to be conceived via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. The healthy baby was delivered shortly before midnight by caesarean section and weigh... read more 19th CENTURY 1832 The first railroad accident 1853 California Rangers kill Joaquin Murrieta 1950s 1956 Ocean liners collide off Nantucket Art, Literature and Film History 1897 Jack London sails for the Klondike gold rush 1965 Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival 1985 Rock Hudson announces he has AIDS Crime 1878 Black Bart strikes again 1984 A 9 year old’s murder puts an innocent man in jail EARLY 20th CENTURY U.S. 1941 Henry Ford writes fan letter to Mahatma Gandhi Natural Disasters & Environment 2000 Concorde jet crashes, killing everyone onboard Sports 1992 Opening of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona U.S. STATES 1898 U.S. forces invade Puerto Rico Vietnam War 1969 The Nixon Doctrine is announced World War I 1917 Dancer and purported spy Mata Hari sentenced to die World War II 1943 Benito Mussolini falls from power

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 26 1775 U.S. postal system established On July 26, 1775, the U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general. Franklin (1706-1790) put in place the foundation for many aspects of today's mail system. During early colonial times in the 1600s, few American... read more AFRICAN HISTORY 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed 1956 Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal Art, Literature and Film History 1943 Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger is born 1975 Van McCoy's "The Hustle" is the #1 song in America Black History 1948 President Truman ends segregation in the military Civil War 1863 Confederate leader John Hunt Morgan is captured Cold War 1947 President Truman signs the National Security Act Crime 1908 FBI founded 1984 Infamous serial killer Ed Gein dies EUROPEAN HISTORY 1945 Winston Churchill resigns Inventions & Science 1998 Three race fans killed at Michigan Speedway U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law World War II 1941 United States freezes Japanese assets

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 27 1974 House begins impeachment of Nixon On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommends that America's 37th president Richard M. Nixon, be impeached and removed from office. The impeachment proceedings resulted from a series of political scandals involving the Nixon administration that came to be collectively known as Watergate... read more   Find Out What Happened in 1974 The first-ever resignation of a U.S. president...Babe Ruth's home run record surpassed...a kidnapped heiress...disco fever...and much more. EXPLORE 1974 Cold War 1953 Armistice ends Korean War hostilities Crime 1981 Six-year-old Adam Walsh is abducted 1996 Bombing at Centennial Olympic Park EUROPEAN HISTORY 1794 Robespierre overthrown in France INVENTIONS & SCIENCE 1949 First commercial jet makes test flight

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 28 1868 14th Amendment adopted Following its ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including formerly enslaved people—is officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution. Secretary of State William Seward... read more 1940s 1945 Plane crashes into Empire State Building 1970s 1975 Grizzly bear is classified as a “threatened” species Art, Literature and Film History 1978 "Animal House" released in theaters FIRST LADIES 1929 Future first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy is born Great Depression 1932 Bonus Marchers evicted by U.S. Army NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY 1968 American Indian Movement (AIM) is founded Natural Disasters & Environment 1976 One of the worst earthquakes in modern history destroys Chinese city Vietnam War 1965 President Johnson announces more troops to Vietnam Women's History 2016 Hillary Clinton accepts Democratic nomination for president, becoming first woman to lead a major U.S. political party World War I 1914 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia World War II 1943 Stalin issues Order No. 227—outlawing cowards

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 29

1958 NASA created The U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America's activities in space, on July 29, 1958. NASA has since sponsored space expeditions, both human and mechanical, that have yielded vital... read more

Art, Literature and Film History 1967 The Doors score their first #1 hit with "Light My Fire" 2000 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston wed

Civil War 1862 Confederate spy Belle Boyd is captured

Crime 1900 Italian American assassinates Italian king 1976 Son of Sam's first murder

EUROPEAN HISTORY 1981 Prince Charles marries Lady Diana

Inventions & Science 1909 General Motors buys Cadillac

Sports 1996 Carl Lewis wins fourth consecutive long jump at 35

Vietnam War 1965 101st Airborne Division arrives in Vietnam 1967 Rocket causes deadly fire on aircraft carrier

World War I 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Czar Nicholas of Russia exchange telegrams

World War II 1921 Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 30 1965 President Johnson signs Medicare into law On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry Truman was enrolled as Medicare's first beneficiary and received the first... read more 19th CENTURY 1866 The New Orleans Massacre AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1777 New York’s first elected governor takes office Art, Literature and Film History 1966 The Troggs take their signature hit, "Wild Thing," to #1 1999 "The Blair Witch Project" released in theaters Civil War 1864 Union forces stopped at the Battle of the Crater Inventions & Science 2003 Last classic VW Beetle rolls off the line Natural Disasters & Environment 1971 Fighter jet collides with passenger plane Sports 1976 Caitlyn Jenner wins Olympic decathlon U.S. Presidents 1956 President Eisenhower signs "In God We Trust" into law 1974 Under subpoena, Nixon surrenders Watergate tapes U.S. Government 1619 First legislative assembly in America convenes in Jamestown World War II 1945 USS Indianapolis torpedoed

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 31 1975 Labor leader Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing On the morning of July 31, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, is officially reported missing after he failed to return home the previous night. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence... read more 1970s 1973 Delta Flight 723 crashes in fog at Boston Logan American Revolution 1777 Marquis de Lafayette becomes a major-general without pay Natural Disasters & Environment 1715 Hurricane sinks Spanish treasure ships Religion 1556 Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, dies Space Exploration 1964 Ranger 7 photographs moon World War I 1917 Third Battle of Ypres begins in Flanders World War II 1941 Preparations for the Final Solution begin

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 1 1943 Operation Tidal Wave: U.S. forces attempt risky air raid on Axis oil refineries On August 1, 1943, 177 B-24 bombers take off from an Allied base in Libya, bound for the oil-producing city Ploiești, Romania, nicknamed "Hitler's gas station." The daring raid, known as Operation Tidal Wave, resulted in five men being awarded the Medal of Honor—three of them posthumously—but failed... read more 1960s 1961 The first Six Flags opens in Texas Art, Literature and Film History 1981 MTV launches 1996 George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" debuts BLACK HISTORY 1943 The Harlem Riot of 1943 begins Cold War 1975 Helsinki Final Act signed Crime 1966 An ex-Marine goes on a killing spree at the University of Texas EUROPEAN HISTORY 1936 Hitler oversees Berlin Olympics opening ceremony Exploration 1498 Columbus first sets eyes on South America, thinks it's an island Holocaust 1944 Anne Frank writes her last diary entry Sports 1996 Michael Johnson earns third gold medal World War I 1914 First World War begins to escalate World War II 1944 Warsaw Uprising begins

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 2

1990 Iraq invades Kuwait On August 2, 1990, at about 2 a.m. local time, Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, Iraq's tiny, oil-rich neighbor. Kuwait's defense forces were rapidly overwhelmed, and those that were not destroyed retreated to Saudi Arabia. The emir of Kuwait, his family, and other government leaders fled to Saudi Arabia,... read more

American Revolution 1776 Delegates sign Declaration of Independence

Civil War 1865 CSS Shenandoah learns the war is over

Cold War 1945 Potsdam Conference concludes

Crime 1876 Wild Bill Hickok is murdered 1942 Man murdered near L.A. reservoir

EUROPEAN HISTORY 1934 Hitler becomes dictator of Germany

Natural Disasters & Environment 1985 Sudden thunderstorm causes plane crash

Sports 1992 Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins gold in heptathlon, again

U.S. Presidents 1923 President Warren G. Harding dies before scandals break

World War I 1917 Mutiny breaks out on German battleship

WORLD WAR II 1943 PT‑109 sinks; Lieutenant Kennedy is instrumental in saving crew

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 3 1958 Nautilus submarine travels under North Pole On August 3, 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplishes the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world's first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and traveled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then... read more 1970s 1975 Boeing 707 crashes into a mountain near Agadir, Morocco Art, Literature and Film History 1977 "The Spy Who Loved Me" released in U.S. theaters 1996 "The Macarena" begins its reign atop the U.S. pop charts 2008 Multimillion-dollar baby photos published Cold War 1948 Chambers accuses Hiss of being a communist spy Crime 1982 Sodomy arrest sparks controversy EUROPEAN HISTORY 1916 Sir Roger Casement hanged Exploration 1492 Columbus sets sail from Spain Sports 1949 NBA is born U.S. Presidents 1923 Calvin Coolidge takes oath of office after Warren G. Harding's death World War I 1914 Germany declares war on France

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 4 1944 Anne Frank captured Acting on tip from a Dutch informer, the Nazi Gestapo captures 15-year-old Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family in a sealed-off area of an Amsterdam warehouse. The Franks had taken shelter there in 1942 out of fear of deportation to a Nazi concentration camp. They occupied the small space with a... read more 19th CENTURY 1873 Colonel Custer and 7th Cavalry attacked by the Sioux Art, Literature and Film History 2006 "Talladega Nights" released in theaters BLACK HISTORY 1964 Slain civil rights workers found Colonial America 1753 George Washington becomes a Master Mason Crime 1892 Lizzie Borden's parents found dead 2019 Dayton, Ohio shooting becomes second mass shooting in 24-hour period Immigration 1942 U.S. and Mexico sign the Mexican Farm Labor Agreement Sports 1936 Jesse Owens wins long jump—and respect—in Germany 2012 Oscar Pistorius becomes the first amputee runner to compete at the Olympics World War I 1914 U.S. proclaims neutrality in World War I

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 5 1962 Marilyn Monroe is found dead On August 5, 1962, movie actress Marilyn Monroe is found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills, prescribed to treat her depression, were littered around the room. After a brief investigation, Los Angeles police... read more 19th CENTURY 1858 First transatlantic telegraph cable completed 21st CENTURY 2002 Divers recover U.S.S. Monitor turret Art, Literature and Film History 1957 "American Bandstand" goes national 1983 "Risky Business" debuts, launches Tom Cruise to stardom Civil War 1864 Union scores a victory at the Battle of Mobile Bay Cold War 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed Crime 1998 Mother charged with smothering her eight children Inventions & Science 1914 First electric traffic signal installed Sports 1948 Vicki Draves and Sammy Lee become the first Asian American Olympic gold medalists U.S. Presidents 1861 Abraham Lincoln imposes first federal income tax 1981 Ronald Reagan fires 11,359 air-traffic controllers VIETNAM WAR 1965 TV news shows Marines burning village World War I 1914 German assault on Liege begins first battle of World War I World War II 1944 Hundreds of Jews are freed from forced labor in Warsaw

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 6 1945 American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima On August 6, 1945, the United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000... read more 19th CENTURY 1846 Donner Party encounters first delay 1890 First execution by electric chair Art, Literature and Film History 1911 Lucille Ball is born 1928 Andy Warhol is born Civil War 1862 Confederate ship blown up by crew 1864 Philip Sheridan receives orders to command the Army of the Shenandoah Crime 1902 Mobster Dutch Schultz is born 1930 Judge Joseph Force Crater becomes the "missingest man" in New York INVENTIONS & SCIENCE 1996 Researchers claim to have found signs of Martian life in Antarctic meteorite Sports 1926 Gertrude Ederle becomes first woman to swim English Channel U.S. Constitution 1787 First draft of Constitution debated U.S. Presidents 1965 President Johnson signs Voting Rights Act Vietnam War 1969 Army announces murder charges against Green Berets

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 7 1782 George Washington creates the Purple Heart On August 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the "Badge for Military Merit," a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the... read more 1970s 1974 Philippe Petit walks on a tightrope between the Twin Towers 21st CENTURY 2005 Trapped Russian sub rescued AFRICAN HISTORY 1998 U.S. embassies in East Africa bombed EXPLORATION 1947 Norwegian explorer completes 4,300-mile ocean voyage in wooden raft LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY 1956 Mysterious explosions in Colombia Space Exploration 1959 The first U.S. satellite to photograph the Earth is launched Sports 1987 Lynne Cox swims into communist territory U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 1912 Teddy Roosevelt nominated as Bull Moose candidate U.S. Presidents 1990 President George H.W. Bush orders Operation Desert Shield Vietnam War 1964 Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution World War II 1942 U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 8 1974 Nixon announces he will resign In an evening televised address on August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from ... read more 19th CENTURY 1879 Emiliano Zapata born 21st CENTURY 2008 5-day long Russo-Georgian War begins Art, Literature and Film History 1986 Spike Lee's first feature, "She's Gotta Have It," premieres 1988 Gangsta rap hits the mainstream with the release of N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton" Civil War 1863 Robert E. Lee offers resignation as commander of the Confederate army EXPLORATION 1588 Spanish Armada defeated Religion 1844 Brigham Young chosen to lead Mormon Church Sports 1988 Lights go on at Wrigley U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 1945 President Truman ratifies United Nations Charter 2009 Sonia Sotomayor is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court World War I 1918 Battle of Amiens begins World War II 1942 German saboteurs executed in Washington, D.C. 1945 Soviets declare war on Japan, invade Manchuria the next day

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📺 1 from the history books

In a photo made from an NBC Special Report, President Nixon announces his resignation. Photo: Ray Stubblebine/AP Richard Nixon announced that he would resign the presidency 50 years ago today — Aug. 8, 1974. The unprecedented and never-repeated moment still reverberates through American politics. President Ford was sworn in the next day.   ps:Not sure why he did what he did?? I believe he would've won again?? Not only that he was very popular and did a pretty good job!!!!! Photo: Owen Franken/Corbis via Getty Images Above: People at Washington National Airport devour the news.   📜 50 years ago this morning     Aug. 9, 1974, front pages   "On Aug. 9, 1974, Richard M. Nixon became the only U.S. president to resign from office, bowing to pressures from the public and his party to step aside," The Washington Post writes this morning, reproducing on Page A2 the front page you see above. "The resignation was less than two years after he won a landslide election in 1972, carrying 49 states with 61 percent of the vote. In the months that followed the election, Nixon's illegal conduct was gradually exposed by the news media, the Senate Watergate Committee, special prosecutors, a House impeachment investigation and, finally, by the Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision, the court ordered Nixon to turn over his secret tape recordings, which doomed his presidency." "Nixon spoke from the Oval Office the night before to announce his resignation, effective at noon the following day, when Gerald Ford was sworn in as president." Beginning of The Post's lead story of Aug. 9, 1974 "Sally Quinn wrote that hardened reporters in the press room found themselves with mixed emotions," historian Fred Frommer recalls. "I felt so angry at him for making me cry," one unnamed reporter said. "He did it to himself. We didn't do it." Gift link, with readable image of the front page. Via National Archives Go deeper: "How the Watergate scandal broke to the world: A visual timeline" (Washington Post gift link) Read NYT's lead story (gift link) ... See NYT front page.

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 9 1974 Gerald Ford becomes president after Richard Nixon resigns In accordance with his statement of resignation the previous evening, Richard M. Nixon officially ends his term as the 37th president of the United States at noon on August 9, 1974. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raise... read more 21st CENTURY 2010 JetBlue flight attendant quits job via escape slide 2014 Michael Brown is killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri Ancient Rome 378 Romans routed at Adrianople Art, Literature and Film History 1854 Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is published 1995 Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia dies Crime 1969 Charles Manson cult kills five, including actress Sharon Tate Native American History 1877 Nez Perce fight Battle of the Big Hole Sports 1936 Jesse Owens wins 4th gold medal 1988 The Great One gets traded World War II 1945 Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki