1782 – 1st US commercial bank, Bank of North America, opens in Philadelphia.
1890 – African American inventor William Purvis receives patent for the fountain pen.
1899 – Walter Camp publishes his 1st All-American football team in Collier’s.
1916 – In response to pressure from President Woodrow Wilson, Germany notifies the US State Department that it will abide by strict international rules of maritime warfare.
1927 – Harlem Globetrotters play their 1st game in Hinckley, Illinois.
1934 – “Flash Gordon” comic strip (by Alex Raymond) debuts.
1944 – US Air Force announces production of 1st US jet fighter, the Bell P-59.
1948 – Thomas Mantell, a pilot with the Kentucky Air National Guard, crashes while pursing a supposed UFO.
1950 – Hank Snow’s 1st appearance on “Grand Ole Opry”
1959 – US recognizes Fidel Castro’s Cuban government.
1963 – 1st class postage raised from 4 cents to 5 cents.
1969 – US Congress doubles president salary.
1980 – American President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation to bail out the Chrysler Corporation with a 1.5 billion dollar loan.
1985 – “King & I” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 191 performances.
1991 – Saddam Hussein prepares his troops for what he says will be a long violent war against the US.
1992 – Tom Seaver & Rollie Fingers elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.
1995 – Larry Brown posts his 500th career NBA coaching victory, following the Indiana Pacers’ 88-83 road win at the Houston Rockets.
1998 – Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky signs affidavit denying she had an affair with President Bill Clinton.
1999 – President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial begins in the US Senate after the House voted to impeach him for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
2007 – Phil Jackson wins his 900th game as a head coach, becoming the fastest coach to reach 900 career wins.
2019 – Amazon overtakes Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable listed company for the first time, worth $797 billion.
