1874 – The New York State Legislature passed a compulsory education law, mandating that children between the ages of 8 and 12 attend school at least 70 days per year.
1877 – The world’s first home telephone was installed in Somerville, Massachusetts at the home of Charles Williams Jr.
1912 – RMS Titanic sank at 2:27 a.m. off Newfoundland after striking an iceberg that resulted in the death of between 1,490 and 1,635 people.
1923 – Insulin became widely available for diabetics, marking a major breakthrough in treating the condition.
1927 – New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth hit the first of his major league-record 60 home runs in a season against Howard Ehmke in New York’s 6-3 win over Philadelphia.
1941 – Igor Sikorsky flew a Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter for over one hour in Stratford, Connecticut, setting a record for the longest continuous flight.
1947 – Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1952 – Franklin National Bank in Long Island, New York, issued the first bank credit card, allowing customers to buy items and pay for them later.
1955 – Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s fast food restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1957 – Saturday mail delivery was restored after Congress provided the Post Office with an additional $41 million. Only one Saturday did not have mail delivery.
1962 – The national debt for the United States surpassed $300 billion.
1971 – 43rd Academy Awards: “Patton” won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and George C. Scott won for Best Actor. Glenda Jackson won Best Actress for her role in “Women in Love.”
1982 – Apollo Computer announced the DN400, DN420 and landscape displays, showcasing advancements in workstation technology.
1987 – Alfred Uhry’s play “Driving Miss Daisy” premiered in New York City featuring Dana Ivey as Miss Daisy, Morgan Freeman as Hoke and Ray Gill as Boolie.
1997 – Major League Baseball honored Jackie Robinson by retiring his No. 42 across all teams in acknowledging Robinson’s historic impact on the game by breaking the color barrier in the sport.
2011 – It was “Black Friday” for online poker in the United States as an indictment in United States v. Scheinberg shut down sites, accusing three online gambling sites of fraud and money laundering.
2019 – Measles cases jumped 300% in the first three months of the year, according to the World Health Organization, with the largest rise in Africa (700%) and 800 deaths in Madagascar.
2020 – The deadliest day in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic with 2,752 deaths reported.
2024 – Donald Trump becomes the first former President to stand trial on criminal charges as his hush money case began in New York.
Author: Sonny Jones
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