1799 – 1st US patent for a seeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont.
1819 – University of Virginia chartered by Commonwealth of Virginia, with Thomas Jefferson one of its founders.
1840 – American naval expedition under Charles Wilkes is first to identify Antarctica as a new continent.
1970 – Soda fountain patented by Gustavus Dows.
1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
1915 – Alexander Graham Bell in NY calls Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
1939 – 1st nuclear fission equipment (splitting of a uranium) in the US, in basement of Pupin Hall, Columbia University by a team including Enrico Fermi.
1945 – Grand Rapids, Michigan, becomes 1st US city to fluoridate its water.
1950 – 73 degrees F, highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in January.
1955 – US & Panama sign canal treaty.
1959 – 1st transcontinental commercial jet flight (American) (LA to NY for $301)
1969 – US-North Vietnamese peace talks begin in Paris.
1971 – Charles Manson & 3 women followers convicted of Tate-LaBianca murders.
1978 – Muriel Humphrey (D-Mn) appointed to fill late husband’s Senate seat.
1981 – 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived back in US.
1991 – Manuel Noriega is given access to assets frozen by US government.
1993 – Sears announces it is closing its catalog sales department after 97 years.
1998 – Pope John Paul II visits Cuba and demands the release of political prisoners; he also condemns US moves to isolate the country.
2002 – Wikipedia switches to the new version of its software (“Phase II) aka Magnus Manske Day.
2016 – British rowing team becomes first female crew and first crew of four to cross the Pacific, San Francisco to Cairns in 257 days.
About Author
