Today In History

"He who forgets history is doomed to repeat it"

George Santayana

• 1792 U.S. establishes military draft.
• 1794 U.S. Post Office established.
• 1840 Alexander Wolcott patents Photographic Process.
• 1864 Battle of Antietam, Virginia (Spotslyvania Court House, Laurel Hill)(single largest loss of life in one day in US history).
• 1886 Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta sells 1st Coca-Coke (contained cocaine).
• 1902 Mount Pelee erupts, wipes out St. Pierre, Martinique, kills 30,000.
• 1919 1st transatlantic flight take-off by a Navy seaplane.
• 1926 1st flight over North Pole by Bennett and Byrd.
• 1945 V-E Day; Germany signs unconditional surrender, WW II ends in Europe.
• 1952 Mad Magazine debuts.
• 1961 1st practical seawater conversion plant in Freeport, Texas.
• 1994 President Clinton announces U.S. will no longer repatriate Vietnamese boat people.
• 1994 500th commentary by Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes.
• 1996 South Africa's Constitutional Assembly adopts permanent post-apartheid constitution.