1607 – Jamestown expedition makes first landing in America at a place named Cape Henry, in what would become Virginia, but they quickly depart for a better site.
1865 – Battle of Durham Station, North Carolina (Greensboro)
1887 – Huntsville Electric Co. forms to sell electricity.
1912 – 1st homerun hit at Fenway Park (Hugh Bradley, Red Sox)
1931 – Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake cost him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season.
1941 – A tradition begins, 1st organ at a baseball stadium (Chicago Cubs)
1952 – US minesweeper Hobson rams aircraft Wasp, kills 176.
1954 – Mass trials of Jonas Salk’s anti-polio vaccine begin; the first shot is delivered in Fairfax County, Virginia; more than 443,000 children receive shots over three months.
1961 – Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961.
1962 – 1st Lockheed A-12 flies.
1966 – Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic’s coach.
1971 – San Francisco lightship replaced by automatic buoy.
1976 – Pan AM begins non-stop flights NYC-Tokyo.
1983 – Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 1,200 for 1st time.
1988 – 1st TNN Viewers Choice Awards: Randy Travis wins in 5 categories.
1990 – Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller’s record of pitching 12 1-hitters.
2003 – NFL Draft: USC quarterback Carson Palmer first pick by Cincinnati Bengals.
2012 – Indonesia suspends imports of American beef after a confirmed case of mad cow disease in California.
2018 – Comedian Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.
2019 – “No Religion” tops survey of American religious identity for the first time at 23.1% edging out Catholics 232.0% and evangelicals at 22.5%, in long-running General Social Survey.
About Author
