1774 – The 1st Continental Congress, a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies that later became the United States, convenes at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia.
1885 – 1st gasoline pump is delivered to a gasoline dealer in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1905 – Treaty of Portsmouth is signed concluding the Russo-Japanese War. US President Theodore Roosevelt receives the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as mediator.
1914 – President Woodrow Wilson orders US Navy to make its wireless stations accessible for any transatlantic communications – even to German diplomats sending coded messages. The order leads to interception of the Zimmermann telegram, helping bring the US into the war.
1922 – 17th Davis Cup: United States beats Australia in New York 4-1.
1939 – President Franklin Roosevelt declares United States neutrality at the start of WWII in Europe.
1942 – Britain and the United States bomb Le Havre and Bremen.
1950 – 38.7 inches rainfall – over several days – at Yankeetown, Florida (state record)
1958 – “Doctor Zhivago” novel by Boris Pasternak published in the United States.
1960 – A.J. Foyt won the first of 67 Indy car victories at Du Quoin, Illinois, State Fairgrounds.
1971 – Houston Astros pitcher J.R. Richard debuted, striking out 15 San Francisco Giants in a 5-3 win.
1976 – Jim Henson’s “The Muppet Show” premieres on television with Mia Farrow as the guest star.
1983 – 8th NASA Space Shuttle Mission: Challenger 3 lands at Edwards Air Force Base.
1989 – Deborah Norville becomes news anchor of Today Show.
1993 – Musical “Will Rogers Follies” closes at Palace Theater in New York City after 933 performances with 6 Tony Awards.
1995 – Cal Ripken Jr. ties Lou Gehrig’s record of playing in 2,130 straight games.
2007 – Three terrorists suspected to be a part of al-Qaeda are arrested in Germany after allegedly planning attacks on both the Frankfurt International airport and US military installations.
2015 – United States health officials confirm a salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers from Mexico is responsible for 1 death and for making hundreds sick.
2017 – Hurricane Irma becomes the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin region with winds of 185 mph.
2018 – Anonymous senior White House official’s opinion piece “I am part of the resistance inside the Trump administration” published by the New York Times.
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