1865 – Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders to General William T. Sherman in North Carolina.
1880 – An F4 tornado strikes Marshfield, Missouri, killing 99 people and injuring many more.
1906 – San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 destroying 75% of the city.
1918 – Cleveland center fielder Tris Speaker turns an unassisted double play.
1924 – 1st crossword puzzle book published by Simon & Schuster.
1934 – 1st “Washateria” (laundromat) opens (Fort Worth, Texas)
1943 – Operation Vengeance: US Army Air Force P-38G fighter from Kukum Field on Guadalcanal ambush and shoot down the transport bomber aircraft of Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Navy and mastermind behind the Pearl Harbor attack.
1950 – 1st opening night-game, Cards beat Pirates, 4-2.
1958 – A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound is to be released from an insane asylum.
1964 – Sandy Koufax is 1st to strike out the side on 9 pitches.
1968 – 1st ABA basketball championship began.
1968 – London Bridge is sold to US oil company (to be erected in Arizona)
1977 – Alex Haley author of “Roots” awarded Pulitzer Prize.
1982 – Atlanta Braves win record 11th straight opening game (Beat Astros)
1990 – Bankruptcy court forces Frank Lorenzo to give up on Eastern Airlines.
1991 – US Census Bureau said it failed to count up to 63 million in 1990 census.
1998 – NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts.
2007 – The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision.
2015 – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Lou Reed, Ringo Starr, Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Green Day, Bill Withers, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the 5 Royals.