In 1493 Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico. In 1620 The Mayflower pilgrims reach Cape Cod. In 1794 The U.S. and Britain sign the Jay Treaty resolving matters leftover from the Revolutionary War. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. In 1887 American poet Emma Lazarus, who'd written "The New Colossus" to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal, dies at age 38. In 1895 The pencil is invented. In 1919 The U.S. Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles. In 1942 During World War II, Russian forces launch their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front. In 1954 New Jersey's Garden State Parkway installed the first automatic toll collectors. In 1959 Ford Motor Company cancels production of the Edsel. In 1969 Apollo XII astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made man's second landing on the moon. In 1977 Egyptian...

In 1600 Charles I, king of England (1625-49) In 1752 American soldier, George Rogers Clark In 1805 French diplomat, Ferdinand de Lesseps (built Suez Canal) In 1831 James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. president (March 4-Sept 19, 1881) In 1895 Actress, Mae Marsh (Birth of a Nation) In 1902 Actor, Trevor Bardette (Old Man Clanton-Wyatt Earp) [d: 11-28-77] In 1904 Actress, Nancy Carroll (Alice-The Aldrich Family) [d: 8-6-65] In 1905 Bandleader/songwriter, Tommy Dorsey [d: 11-26-56] In 1917 Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi (1966-77, 80-84) [d: 10-31-84] In 1919 Announcer/TV host, George Fenneman (Dragnet) [d: 5-29-97] In 1919 Actor, Alan Young (Time Machine, Wilbur Post-Mr. Ed) [d: 5-20-16] In 1921 Baseball Hall-of-Famer, Roy Campanella (Dodgers) [d: 6-26-93] In 1926 Former U.S. ambassador, Jeane Kirkpatrick [d: 12-7-06] In 1933 TV/radio talk show host, Larry King (Larry King Live) (86) In 1934 Folk singer, Dave Guard (Kingston Trio) [d: 3-22-91] In 1935 G.E. chairman, John Francis Welsh Jr. (...

In 1928 George Gershwin finished writing "An American in Paris." In 1936 Ella Fitzgerald, 18, makes her first recording, "My First Affair." In 1952 Bill Haley marries his pregnant girlfriend, 4 days after a divorce became final from his first wife. In 1954 "Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney is banned by ABC Radio and TV for so-called offensive lyrics. In 1956 Fats Domino performs "Blueberry Hill" on the "Ed Sullivan Show." In 1957 Ricky Nelson's records "Stood Up." In 1964 The Supremes appear on TV's "Shindig!" singing "Baby Love" and"Come See About Me." In 1967 "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees enters the U.S. top 40 chart. In 1968 Spiral Staircase record "More Today Than Yesterday." In 1968 After the cover is redesigned, the Rolling Stones' album "Beggars Banquet" is released. In 1968 The Jimi Hendrix Experience's third album, "Electric Ladyl...

In 1820 Antarctica is discovered by U.S. Navy Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer. In 1865 Using the pen name "Mark Twain," Samuel L. Clemens publishes "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in the New York Saturday Press. In 1883 The U.S. and Canada adopt Standard Time Zones to avoid confusion across the continent. In 1886 Chester A. Arthur, the 21st U.S. president, dies at age 56. In 1902 Inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Morris Michtom invents the Teddy Bear. In 1903 The U.S. and Panama sign the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty giving the U.S. the rights to build the Panama Canal. In 1909 The U.S. invades Nicaragua and later overthrows President Zelaya. In 1913 Lincoln Deachey performs the first airplane loop-the-loop. In 1928 Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse debuts in "Steamboat Willie," the first sound-synchronized animated cartoon at the Colony Theatre in New York. In 1932 "Flowers and Trees" receives the first Academy Award for a cartoon. In 1942 ...

In 1787 Civil rights leader, Sojourner Truth (women's and black's rights) In 1789 Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre, developed a method of photography In 1801 Businessman, John Butterfield (founded American Express) In 1832 Finnish explorer, Nils Nordenskjold (Northeast Passage) In 1836 Playwright/lyricist, Sir W.S. Gilbert (Gilbert and Sullivan) In 1836 Italian founder of criminology, Cesare Lombroso In 1874 Humorist/essayist, Clarence Day (Life With Father) In 1881 Hockey player, Percy Lesueur (invented large goalie glove) In 1889 Italian operatic soprano, Amelita Galli-Curci In 1897 Pianist/songwriter, Jules Buffano (Jimmy Durante Show) In 1899 Conductor, Eugene Ormandy (Philadelphia Orchestra) In 1901 Pollster, George H. Gallup (Gallup Poll) [d: 7-28-84] In 1906 Biochemist, George Wald (vitamin A in retina) [d: 4-13-97] In 1908 Actress, Imogene Coca (Your Show of Shows) [d: 6-2-01] In 1909 Lyricist, Johnny Mercer (Moon River, Old Black Magic) [d: 6-25-76] In 1912 Actor, Arthur P...

In 1956 Elvis Presley's makes his film debut with the premiere of "Love Me Tender." In 1964 The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones misses three days of their tour hospitalized with a 104-degree fever in Chicago. In 1964 The TV special "Around The Beatles," filmed in London during the previous spring, airs in the U.S. on ABC. In 1965 The Rolling Stones perform "Get Off Of My Cloud" on NBC-TV's "Hullabaloo." In 1965 The Beach Boys' album "Surfin' USA" is certified gold. In 1968 "Who's Making Love" by Johnnie Taylor is certified gold. In 1969 Janis Joplin is arrested in Tampa for using "vulgar and indecent language" onstage. In 1969 The Beatles early stomping ground, the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, closes its doors. In 1969 The Beatles appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. In 1969 "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 and "Jam Up Jelly Tight" byTommy Roe both enter the U.S. ...

In 1492 Christopher Columbus notes in his journal the use of tobacco among Indians, the first recorded reference to tobacco. In 1577 Sir Frances Drake of England departs on a voyage around the world. In 1777 The Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation, a precursor to the Constitution of the United States. In 1806 Explorer Zebulon Pike sights the mountaintop in Colorado now known as "Pikes Peak." In 1864 Confederate General Sherman sets Atlanta, Georgia, on fire. In 1869 Free postal delivery is formally inaugurated. In 1881 The American Federation of Labor (AFL) is founded in Pittsburgh. In 1889 Brazil's King Pedro II abdicates, and Brazil is proclaimed a republic. In 1901 The first electric hearing aid, "the Acousticon," is patented. In 1920 The League of Nations holds its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1926 The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) goes on-the-air with a network of 24 radio stations. In 1937 Air conditioning is insta...