ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from the island of Elba to begin his second conquest of France. Sort of the El Chapo of his time, just shorter.

On this date in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the National Currency Act. Afterwards, he only had one word to say: "Money!" Later, he signed another bill that made dollars.

In 1869, the 15th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was sent out to the states. It guaranteed the right to vote and that there would be a 16th amendment.

On this date in 1895, Michael Owens of Toledo, Ohio, patented a glass-blowing machine. This helped prevent glass-blowers from getting the hiccups while blowing, accidentally inhale the glass and developing a pane in the stomach. Yes, I said pane.

On this date in 1907, the salary of a congress person was raised to $7500 a year, while the Vice President's paycheck went up to $12,000. These days, those aren't even effective bribes.

It was in 1919, congress approved the money to make the Grand Canyon a national park. It wasn't the last time they put federal tax dollars towards a big hole.

On this date in 1930, New York City installed traffic lights.
They just made them all red, since drivers didn't pay attention to them anyway.
Finally, drivers had lights to run.
Up until then, cabbies didn't have any red lights to run.

In 1960, home fallout shelter kits went on the market in New York for $105.
Nothing says protection from radiation like $105.
Unfortunately, there were knockoffs and some people mistakenly bought hair fallout shelters.
Like a radioactive bomb would be your biggest worry in New York.

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