1677 First medical publication in America (pamphlet
on smallpox), Boston
1789 First American novel, WH Brown's "The
Power of Sympathy," is published
1793 In the aftermath of the French Revolution,
King Louis XVI of France was guillotined
1799 Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccination is
introduced
1853 Envelope-folding machine patented by Russell
Hawes, Worcester MA
1861 Jefferson Davis of Mississippi resign from the
Senate
1865 For the first time, an oil well was drilled
by torpedoes
1880 First US sewage disposal system separate
from storm drains, Memphis TN
1903 "Wizard of Oz" premieres in New
York City NY
1908 New York City NY regulation makes it illegal
for a woman to smoke in public
1915 Kiwanis International founded in Detroit
1922 First slalom ski race run, Mürren,
Switzerland
1927 First national opera broadcast from a US
opera house (Faust, Chicago)
1939 Arlen and Harburg's song "Over the
Rainbow" was copyrighted
1941 First commercial extraction of magnesium
from seawater, Freeport TX
1942 Count Basie records "One O'Clock Jump"
1946 "The Fat Man" debuted on ABC
radio
1949 First inaugural parade televised (Harry
Truman)
1950 New York jury finds former State Department
official Alger Hiss guilty of perjury
1950 "I Can Dream, Can't I?" by the
Andrews Sisters topped the charts
1951 "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
topped the charts
1954 The gas turbine automobile was introduced
in New York City
1954 The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear
powered submarine, was launched
1956 "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie
Ford topped the charts
1959 The Kingston Trio received a gold record
for "Tom Dooley"
1961 "Poetry in Motion" by Johnny
Tillotson topped the charts
1967 "I'm a Believer" by The Monkees
topped the charts
1976 The Concorde supersonic jet began passenger
service
1977 President Jimmy Carter pardoned almost
all Vietnam War draft evaders
1978 Bee Gees' "Saturday Night Fever"
album goes #1 for 24 weeks
1978 "Baby Come Back" by Player
topped the charts
1979 Neptune becomes outermost planet (Pluto
moves closer)
1979 Price of gold increases to record $875
troy ounce
1980 Les Henson, Virginia Tech, makes 89' 3"
basketball field goal
1984 "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by
Yes topped the charts
1985 State record low temperature of -34°
in Mt. Mitchell, NC
1985 State record low temperature of -19°
in Caesars Head, SC
1989 "Two Hearts" by Phil Collins
topped the charts
1998 President Bill Clinton angrily denied reports
he'd had an affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and tried
to get her to lie about it
2005 College DJ, Dave Plotkin set a record for the world's
longest continuous broadcast
