1771 – The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called “The Regulators”, occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
1817 – Mississippi River steamboat service begins.
1866 – US Congress authorizes the nickel 5 cent piece (replaces silver half-dime)
1868 – US Senate fails to impeach President Andrew Johnson by one vote.
1894 – Fire in Boston destroys baseball stadium & 179 other buildings.
1914 – American Horseshoe Pitchers Association organizes in Kansas City.
1927 – US Supreme Court ruled bootleggers must pay income tax.
1939 – Food stamps are 1st issued.
1946 – “Annie Get Your Gun” opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 1147 performances.
1958 – Major Irwin, USAF, flies a Lockheed Starfight F-104 A to a record 1,404.18 MPH.
1965 – The Campbell Soup Company introduces SpaghettiOs under its Franco-American brand.
1971 – US 1st class postage now costs 8 cents (was 6 cents)
1977 – 5 die as NY Airway helicopter topples on Pan Am building in NYC.
1984 – Mackay pays $218,718 for 44,166 tickets to keep Twins in Minnesota. Twins sell 51,863 tickets but only 6,346 fans show up for the game.
1985 – Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of the Year.
1987 – “Bobro 400”, a barge carrying 3,200 tons of garbage sets sail from NYC, beginning an unsuccessful 8 week search for a dumping site.
1992 – Polls show Perot, Bush & Clinton would be in a deadlock.
2002 – “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman opens in cinemas.
2011 – Space shuttle Endeavour launches on its final commission in space.
2013 – Bill Gates regains his position as the world’s richest man with $72.7 billion after losing the position in 2008.