At 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and […]readmore
On this day in 1897, a 25-year-old London taxi driver named George Smith becomes the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after slamming his cab into a building. Smith later pled guilty and was fined 25 shillings. In the United States, the first laws against operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of […]readmore
On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress formally declares the name of the new nation to be the «United States» of America. This replaced the term «United Colonies,» which had been in general use. In the Congressional declaration dated September 9, 1776, the delegates wrote, «That in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, […]readmore
On this day in 1886, Apache chief Geronimo surrenders to U.S. government troops. For 30 years, the mighty Native American warrior had battled to protect his tribe’s homeland; however, by 1886 the Apaches were exhausted and hopelessly outnumbered. General Nelson Miles accepted Geronimo’s surrender, making him the last Indian warrior to formally give in to […]readmore
A powerful hurricane slams into the Dominican Republic, killing more than 8,000 people, on this day in 1930. September is a prime month for hurricanes in the Caribbean, as storms that form off the African coast move west and are fueled by waters in the island region that have been warming all summer long. The […]readmore
On this day in 1969, America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) makes its public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. ATMs went on to revolutionize the banking industry, eliminating the need to visit a bank to conduct basic financial transactions. By the 1980s, these money machines had become […]readmore
On this day in 1967, Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He would remain on the Supreme Court for 24 years before retiring for health reasons, leaving a legacy of upholding the rights of the individual as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. From a young age, […]readmore
Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane on this day in 2005. Despite being only the third most powerful storm of the 2005 hurricane season, Katrina was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. After briefly coming ashore in southern Florida on August 25 as […]readmore
An army of 1400 Cuban exiles opposed to Castro, recruited, trained and financed in secret by the United States, invaded their country in the Bay of Pigs. US President John F. Kennedy, annoyed by the two years of Communist regime in Cuba, approved the invasion but, at the last moment, refused to order air support when […]readmore
On this date, Vladimir Lenin returned to Russia to take the reins of the Russian revolution. Although exiled in Siberia and Europe for his revolutionary activities, Vladimir Lenin was able to strengthen his Bolshevik Party through his oratory and literary skill. With Russia plunged into chaos by World War I and the abdication of Tsar Nicolás II, […]readmore