| Faded but still legible, the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, is enshrined for public display in the rotunda of the National Archives and Records Building in Washington, D.C. The priceless documents are stored in an underground vault at night and are constantly monitored for any degradation in their condition. Fifty-five members of the Continental Congress signed the document in Philadelphia. |
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| The first Census was taken August 2, 1790. The federal census records for the first census are missing for five states: Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey and Virginia. They were destroyed some time between the time of the census-taking and 1830. The census estimated the population of the United States at 3,929,214. |
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| Morris, George Pope founded New York Mirror and Ladies' Literary Gazette in 1824 and edited it until 1842. Edited the Evening Mirror from 1844, and the Home Journal from 1846. Besides his editorial career in Philadelphia, he published many of his own poems. |
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| Huge public rinks opened in the Floral Hall and in the Strand of London. In 1863, American James Plimpton found a way to make a very useable pair of skates. Plimpton's skates had two parallel sets of wheels, one pair under the ball of the foot and the other pair under the heel. The four wheels were made of boxwood and worked on rubber springs. Plimpton's design was the first dry-land skate that could maneuver in a smooth curve. This considered the birth of the modern four-wheeled roller skates, which allowed for turns and the ability to skate backwards. Plimpton opened the first public roller skating rink in 1866 at the Atlantic House resort hotel in Newport, Rhode Island |
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| Nobody was paying any attention to McCall. Suddenly the air was shattered by a loud crash, as McCall pulled a .45-caliber revolver from his coat pocket and shot Hickok in the back of the head from three feet. Hickok hung suspended in time for a moment and then toppled over backward, the cards in his hand dropping to the floor. That hand, which included a pair of aces and a pair of eights, became known as the Dead Man's Hand. The suits of those cards and what the fifth card was are still being disputed-nobody will ever know these details for sure. |
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| Nobody was paying any attention to McCall. Suddenly the air was shattered by a loud crash, as McCall pulled a .45-caliber revolver from his coat pocket and shot Hickok in the back of the head from three feet. Hickok hung suspended in time for a moment and then toppled over backward, the cards in his hand dropping to the floor. That hand, which included a pair of aces and a pair of eights, became known as the Dead Man's Hand. The suits of those cards and what the fifth card was are still being disputed-nobody will ever know these details for sure. |
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| Twisted large and small strands with ten point sheet metal spur rowel barb. Variation of Patent #367,398, Aug 2,. 1887 by Chester A. Hodge of Beloit, Wisc. There were many patents for barbed wire during this era. |
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| Walter Johnson, 19, debuts with Washington and loses to Detroit. The first hit off him is a bunt single by Ty Cobb, who also helps Detroit's cause by throwing out three runners from RF, two of them at home plate. Sam Crawford's inside-the-park home run is the margin in Detroit's 3-2 win. Johnson exits in the 8th, trailing, 2-1. Detroit also wins the 2nd game of the doubleheader and moves into first place. |
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| Coinage of the Lincoln cent has been in progress at the Philadelphia Mint for some time. The
number of one-cent pieces coined in June, 22,213,575, are believed all to be of the new type. No advance coinage of
the Lincoln cent has been made at any of the branch mints. It is not believed that any of the specimens, except a
very few for inspection by government officials, have left the custody of the chief coiner.
On August 2, 1909, the first Lincoln cents were released into circulation. A mad dash ensued, and all available pieces were quickly scooped up. | |
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| Many in the aeronautical community predicted that the Army would not receive any bids, but the Wright brothers signed a contract on February 10, 1908, and delivered the airplane to Fort Myer in August 1908. The specification required the "Heavier-than-air Flying Machine" to carry two people, fly 40 miles per hour, make a one-hour endurance flight and be portable by Army wagons. Flying instruction for two officers was also required. The Army formally accepted Signal Corps Airplane No. 1, the world's first military airplane, on August 2, 1909. The Wright brothers fulfilled their contract in October and early November when Wilbur Wright provided flying instruction for three Army officers at College Park, Maryland. |
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| Although they were all cleared by a conciliatory grand jury for conspiring to defraud the public, newly appointed Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned for life the eight so-called Black Sox -- left fielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, first baseman and ringleader Chick Gandil, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver, centerfielder Happy Felsch, pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, and utility infielder Fred McMullin -- from organized baseball. Only a handful of them actually received any payment, and Jackson hit .375 in the Series to lead both teams. |
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| Vitaphone synchronized the soundtrack portion on 16 inch shellac record discs with the picture portion on 35mm film in a single projector. Each disc corresponded to one reel of film, or about ten minutes. The records used in this system are much larger than ordinary phonograph records, they rotate more slowly, and the needle travels from the center to the outside, instead of from the outside inward, as in the ordinary phonograph. In addition, the grooves in a Vitaphone disc were less rigid in order to enhance sonic quality. However, each disc could be used only for twenty plays before replacement, thus the check boxes on the label. The projection of a Vitaphone film required very precise synchronization of disc and film. Each reel of film had a "start" frame, and the projectionist had to line up that frame in the projector's gate. The disc would be cued on the attached turntable by placing the stylus at the first groove, marked with an arrow etched into the record. At the flip of a switch, the film and disc would accelerate to their appropriate playing speed. |
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| Larry MacPhail has official baseballs dyed dandelion yellow, and they are used in the first game of a doubleheader between the Dodgers and Cardinals at Ebbets Field. The Dodgers win 6-2, but Johnny Mize hits one of Freddie Fitzsimmons's knuckleballs for the first "yellow" HR. |
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| In the summer of 1939, six months after the discovery of uranium fission, American newspapers and magazines openly discussed the prospect of atomic energy. If atomic bombs were possible, Nazi Germany might gain an unbeatable lead in developing them. It was especially troubling that Germany had stopped the sale of uranium ore from occupied Czechoslovakia. Unable to find official support, and unable to convince Enrico Fermi of the need to continue experiments, Szilard turned to his old friend Albert Einstein. "A single bomb of this type carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory." |
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| On the night of August 2, 1943 his boat was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri. Two of his crew were killed but thanks to Kennedy's efforts 11 survived. Despite a back injury he refused repatriation and later commanded PT59 in further engagements. |
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| In 1951 Miller convinced Clooney to record an oddball song, "Come On-a My House," written by Ross Bagdasarian with lyrics by William Saroyan. When Miller first suggested the song, Clooney was highly skeptical, insisting the song was not her kind of material. She felt it was silly and demeaning; she believed the double-entendres were a cheap lyrical device and felt uncomfortable putting on an Italian accent. But Miller was persistent and finally persuaded Clooney to record "Come On-a My House." He conceived a novel instrumental effect utilizing a harpsichord to accompany Clooney. Much to her surprise, the song was an immediate and enormous success, topping the charts to become a gold record. |
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| After finishing his fourth film, "King Creole", Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army and began military service in Arkansas. He was away from the music scene and from the recording studios for two years, but his record company issued previously recorded material, keeping his image alive and keeping him on the charts with "Don't", "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck", "Hard Headed Woman", "A Fool Such As I", A Big Hunk Of Love, etc. His stint in the Army eded on March 1, 1960. |
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| Billy Bruton of the Braves hits three triples in an 11-5 win over the Cardinals. Two of the triples are with the bases loaded, the only time it has happened in the National League in the 20th century. |
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| The Cavern began life as a stronghold for Jazz, some of the artists came from as far away as
London. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities to play in city centre locations, Paul McCartney and other local band
leaders like Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers would approach the club manager Ray McFall asking for dates to
play but they were refused for months! Finally he agreed to try Rock n' Roll at the lunch time sessions, to
try and catch the young workers who popped in for a soup, cheese roll and a soft drink.
The Beatles first played on Tuesday 21st March 1961. The place was packed, it wasn't long before Ray McFall realised there was a huge following for the pop groups and he put the Beatles on at the night time sessions also. This was the start of the revolution, people flocked to the Cavern but they came for the Rock n' Roll instead of the Jazz!. The Beatles went on to perform nearly 300 times at the Cavern, their final performance was on the 3rd August 1963. |
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| Joseph A. Walker was a Chief Research Pilot at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center during the
mid-1960s. He joined the NACA in March 1945, and served as project pilot at the Edwards flight research facility on
such pioneering research projects as the D-558-1, D-558-2, X-1, X-3, X-4, X-5, and the X-15. He also flew programs
involving the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, and the B-47. Walker made the first NASA X-15 flight on March 25, 1960. He flew the research aircraft 24 times and achieved its fastest speed and highest altitude. He attained a speed of 4,104 mph (Mach 5.92) during a flight on June 27, 1962, and reached an altitude of 354,300 feet on August 22, 1963 (his last X-15 flight). He was the first man to pilot the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) that was used to develop piloting and operational techniques for lunar landings. |
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| In 1965, he delivered one of the most significant and memorable reports of the Vietnam conflict, as he chronicled the burning of the South Vietnamese village of Cam Ne by U.S. Marines. The report shocked Americans and prompted the U.S. military to issue new rules of engagement. |
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| The folk-rock duo of guitarist/vocalists Denny Zager and Richard Evans made their bid for temporary greatness with "In the Year 2525," a post-apocalyptic vision of life in the future. Formed in Lincoln, NE, Zager & Evans hit number one with "In the Year 2525" less than a month after its release in summer 1969 (the single was written by Evans, allegedly in half an hour). |
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| The Eagles' self titled debut contained two Top 10 hits, "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman". Their second album Desperado was a critical success and contained another hit, "Tequila Sunrise", as well as the title song which became a live favorite. Additional guitarist Don Felder joined. The Eagles' success continued with On The Border, featuring the Number 1 "Best Of My Love", and One Of These Nights, with the title track being another Number 1 in addition to the hits "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It To The Limit". Leadon left in 1975 and was replaced by ex-James Gang and successful solo artist, Joe Walsh. |
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| Billy Martin becomes the new Yankee manager, replacing Bill Virdon, named by TSN as last year's Manager of the Year. He won't be out of a job for long. |
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| It was always going to be difficult to follow up such a huge success, and Olivia's next movie, Xanadu (1980), received a panning from the critics and did not draw the public into the cinema. However, the soundtrack was a roaring success, with Olivia's song Magic topping the US charts, and the title song, a duet with ELO, also selling well. The movie has since become something of a cult classic, with a small but dedicated following. |
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| After several rejection slips, Schulz finally realized his dream of creating a nationally-syndicated daily comic strip when Peanuts debuted in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950. By the time Snoopy's Flying Ace appeared in late 1965, Schulz was twice honored with the Reuben Award by the National Cartoonists Society for his talents, and Peanuts was an international success. |
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| Upon quitting the band Chicago, he soon returned to the top of the charts with "Glory Of Love," the first single from his album "Solitude/Solitaire"(1986) as well as the theme to the film "The Karate Kid Part II"; that same year he scored another number one smash, "The Next Time I Fall," a duet with Amy Grant. |
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| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is the first full-length animated feature in color and with sound, one of Disney's greatest films, and a pioneering classic tale in film history. It was financed due in part to the success of Disney's earlier animated short, The Three Little Pigs (1933). It was the first commercially successful film of its kind and a technically brilliant, innovative example of Disney animation. It was also the first film to release a motion picture soundtrack album. The story was adapted from the original Brothers Grimms' Fairy Tales, but in a bowdlerized or sanitized version |
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| Eric Davis becomes the 7th player in ML history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one season by drilling his 30th homer in the bottom of the 11th to give the Reds a 5-4 win over the Giants. |
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| Royals rookie 3B Kevin Seitzer goes 6-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBIs in a 13-5 rout of the Red Sox, tying the American League record for hits in a 9-inning game. Seitzer will add two hits tomorrow, and four on the 4th: his total of 12 in three games is the 3rd highest in AL history. |
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| This fateful day in 1987 witnessed the fastest race in Indy car history, when Michael Andretti won the Marlboro 500 at the Michigan International Speedway with an average speed of 171.490mph. Andretti broke the record previously set by Bobby Rahal at 170.722mph. Incidentally, one of the drivers that Andretti sped past on that day was his father and fellow driver, Mario Andretti. |
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| Voyager 2 discovered 6 of the moons not observable from Earth. Very recently, three more moons,
S/2002 N1-3, were discovered from a ground-based telescope in 2002. Voyager 2 found Neptune to have interesting weather patterns, which include clouds. Neptune was found to have an internal heat source, and, like Uranus, Neptune's magnetic axis is inclined greatly off of its rotational axis. Neptune's ring arcs were discovered to be bright patches on one ring. Voyager 2 discovered two more rings, and six more moons. Triton, a moon, was found to be cantaloupe-shaped and to have geysers. Triton was also found to have pink nitrogen snow at its poles. |
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| Polgar Broke 4 World Records on August 2, 2005 by playing 326 opponents simultaneously, winning 309 (drawing 14)with a winning percentage of 96.93% as well as playing 1,131 consecutive games, winning 1,112 (drawing 16) |
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1375 First roller skating rink opens
(London)
1776 Members of the Continental Congress signed the parchment copy of the Dec.
of Ind.
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1790 The first United States census was completed
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1791 Samuel Briggs and his son, Samuel Briggs,
Jr., became the first father-son pair to receive a joint patent -- for their
nail-making machine.
1823 "The New York Mirror and Ladies Literary
Gazette" founded
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1824 Fifth Avenue was opened in New York City.
1858 First street mailboxes-Boston, Mass
1864 Second Saratoga Racetrack (NY) opens
1876 Frontiersman "Wild Bill" Hickok
was shot and killed in Deadwood, SD
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1887 Barbed wire was patented by Chester A. Hodge
of Beloit, WI.
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1904 Patent for a "glass shaping machine"
was granted to Michael Owen. The immense production of glass bottles, jars,
etc. owes its inception to this invention.
1907 Walter Johnson pitched his first professional
baseball game for the Washington Senators
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1909 First Lincoln head pennies minted
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1909 Army Air Corps formed as Army takes first
delivery from Wright Brothers
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1921 A jury in Chicago acquitted several former
members of the Chicago White Sox
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1926 The first demonstration of the Vitaphone
system
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1934 First airplane train, plane tows 3 mail gliders
behind it
1934 William Franks twirls an indian club overhead
17,280 times in 1 hour
1938 First test of a yellow baseball (Dodgers
vs Cardinals)
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1939 Einstein writes a letter to FDR concerning atomic weapons
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1943 JFK's Navy patrol torpedo boat, PT-109, rammed by a destroyer
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1952 "Half As Much" by Rosemary Clooney
topped the charts
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1958 "Hard Headed Woman" by Elvis Presley
topped the charts
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1959 Milwaukee Brave Bill Bruton hits 2 bases
loaded triples
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1961 Beatles first gig as house band of Liverpool's
Cavern Club
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1962 NASA civilian test pilot Joseph A Walker
takes X-15 to 106,960 feet
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1965 Morley Safer's sends first Vietnam report
indicating we are losing
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1969 "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)"
by Zager & Evans topped the charts
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1975 "One of These Nights" by the Eagles
topped the charts
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1975 Billy Martin named manager of NY Yankees (1st time)
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1975 State record high temperature of 104°
in Providence, RI
1975 State record high temperature of 107°
in New Bedford and Chester, MA
1980 "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John topped
the charts
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1984 "Peanuts" became the first comic
strip to appear in 2,000 newspapers
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1986 "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera
topped the charts
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1987 "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", was rereleased
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1987 Cincinnati Red Eric Davis becomes 7th &
earliest 30 HR 30 steal man
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1987 Don Brown sets flight record for handbow
(1,336 yds 1'3")
1987 Kevin Seitzer (KC Royals), gets 6 hits in
one baseball game
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1987 Michael Andretti runs fastest Indy car race
in history (171.49 MPH)
More ...
1989 NASA confirmed Voyager 2's discovery of 3
more moons of Neptune
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2005 Susan Polgar breaks 4 international chess records
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