1905 – 2.4 inches of rain fell in 15 minutes in Taylor, Texas.
1927 – Construction of the Spirit of St. Louis, the monoplane which Charles Lindbergh was to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, was completed.
1932 – First broadcast of “One Man’s Family” aired on NBC radio, marking the beginning of the longest-running dramatic serial in United States radio that ended in 1959.
1937 – Symbolic “Golden Rivet” was driven, completing the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco and Marin County. It was later replaced with a more structurally sound steel version.
1945 – Conscientious objector and medic Desmond Doss saved 75 wounded soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa at Hacksaw Ridge. The act of bravery earned him the Medal of Honor and the story later was depicted in the Oscar-winning film “Hacksaw Ridge.”
1945 – US Army’s 45th Infantry Division liberated approximately 32,000 prisoners from the Dachau Nazi concentration camp in Germany.
1957 – The SM-1 nuclear power plant, the first military nuclear power plant, was dedicated at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
1967 – Aretha Franklin released her single “Respect,” which was written by Otis Redding. It was Billboard’s Song of the Year.
1974 – President Richard Nixon said he would release edited transcripts of 36 taped White House conversations related to the Watergate investigation.
1975 – Vietnam War: The United States launched Operation Frequent Wind, a large-scale evacuation of American citizens and at-risk Vietnamese from Saigon as North Vietnamese forces closed in on the city, bringing an end to America’s involvement in the war.
1985 – Harold Washington was sworn in as Chicago’s first African-American mayor.
1992 – A jury in Simi Valley, California acquitted four Los Angeles Police Department officers of charges related to the videotaped beating of Rodney King. The decision sparked massive riots in the city.
2004 – Dick Cheney and George W. Bush testified before the 9/11 Commission in a closed, unrecorded hearing in the Oval Office.
2006 – NFL Draft: N.C. State defensive end Mario Williams was the first pick by the Houston Texans.
2018 – Animated series “The Simpsons” surpassed “Gunsmoke” by episode count to become the longest-running prime time scripted series on television with its 636th episode.
2023 – Country singer Willie Nelson hosted the first of his two-night 90th birthday concerts for himself at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. Guest performers included Lyle Lovett, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, George Strait, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, Chris Stapleton, Edie Brickell, Tom Jones and Ziggy Marley, among others.
Author: Sonny Jones
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