Today in History

Today in History

1683 – The first Mennonites arrived in America aboard the Concord. The German and Dutch families settled in an area that is now a neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA.

1847 – 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte was first published in London.

1848 – The steamboat SS California left New York Harbor for San Francisco via Cape Horn. The steamboat service arrived on February 28, 1849. The trip took 4 months and 21 days.

1857 – The American Chess Congress held their first national chess tournament in New York City.

1863 – The first Turkish bath was opened in Brooklyn, NY, by Dr. Charles Shepard.

1866 – The Reno Brothers pulled the first train robbery in America near Seymour, IN. The got away with

$10,000.

1880 – The National League kicked the Cincinnati Reds out for selling beer.

1884 – The Naval War College was established in Newport, RI.

1889 – In Paris, the Moulin Rouge opened its doors to the public for the first time.

1889 – The Kinescope was exhibited by Thomas Edison. He had patented the moving picture machine in

1887.

1890 – Polygamy was outlawed by the Mormon Church.

1927 – 'The Jazz Singer' opened in New York starring Al Jolson. The film was based on the short story 'The Day of Atonement' by Sampson Raphaelson.

1928 – War-torn China was reunited under the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek.

1937 – 'Hobby Lobby' debuted on CBS radio.

1939 – Adolf Hitler denied any intention to wage war against Britain and France in an address to Reichstag.

1948 – 'Summer and Smoke' by Tennessee Williams opened on Broadway.

1949 – U.S. president Harry Truman signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. The act provided $1.3 billion in the form of military aid to NATO countries.

1954 – E.L. Lyon became the first male nurse for the U.S. Army.

1961 – U.S. president John F. Kennedy advised American families to build or buy bomb shelters to protect them in the event of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union.

1962 – Robert Goulet began the role of Sir Lancelot in 'Camelot'.

1973 – Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in an attempt to win back territory that had been lost in the third Arab-Israel war. Support for Israel led to a devastating oil embargo against many nations including the U.S. and Great Britain on October 17, 1973. The war lasted 2 weeks.

1979 – Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to visit the White House.

1991 – Elizabeth Taylor married Larry Fortensky. The ceremony was held at Michael Jackson's estate near Los Angeles, CA. It was Taylor's 8th marriage and Fortensky's 3rd.

1992 – Ross Perot appeared in his first paid broadcast on CBS-TV after entering the U.S. presidential race.

History