1789 – 1st American novel, W.H. Brown’s “Power of Sympathy” is published.
1880 – 1st US sewage disposal system separate from storm drains, Memphis, Tennessee.
1887 – Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) forms.
1899 – Opel manufactured its first automobile.
1908 – NYC regulation makes it illegal for a woman to smoke in public.
1915 – Kiwanis International founded in Detroit.
1941 – 1st commercial extraction of magnesium from seawater, Freeport, TX.
1942 – Count Basie records “One O’clock Jump”
1949 – 1st inaugural parade televised (Harry Truman)
1956 – “Comedy in Music (Victor Borge)” closes at Golden NYC after 849 performances.
1964 – Carl T. Rowan named director of US Information Agency.
1970 – Pan Am Boeing 747 1st flight NY-London.
1974 – Gold hits record $161.31/silver hits record $3.97 an ounce in London.
1980 – Gold hits record $850 an ounce.
1984 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton.
1990 – John McEnroe becomes 1st ever player to be expelled from the Australian Open.
1991 – CBS News correspondent Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf.
1994 – Dow Jones passes 3900 (record 3,914.20)
2008 – Black Monday in worldwide stock markets. FTSE 100 had its biggest ever one-day points fall, European stocks close their worst result since 9/11, and Asian stocks drop as much as 15%.