Kodachrome Color Film was discontinued. (2009) Signaling the end of an era, the Eastman Kodak Company ended the Kodachrome product, which has been marketed for 72 years. At the end of its production, only one photo lab in the U.S. still processed the film.
Galileo recants his view that the Sun was the center of the Universe. (1633) Strong-armed by the Holy Office in Rome, Galileo was forced to reinstate the Earth as the center of the universe and was placed under house arrest for the rest of his life.
John Lennon’s murderer plead guilty. (1981) Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times and was sentenced to 20 years to life for second degree murder.
The U.S. Supreme court found cross burning to be protected free speech. (1992) In R.A.V. v. St. Paul, the court unanimously held that cross burning and other similar expressions of racial bias were protected by the right to free speech.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was created. (1870) Initially, the Attorney General, the head of the DOJ, was a part-time job for one person. The DOJ now employs more than 112,000 people.
The U.S. voting age was lowered to 18. (1970) President Richard Nixon signed the bill.
The GI Bill of Rights was signed into law. (1944) President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the package of benefits into law to assist World War II veterans.
The Battle of Okinawa ended. (1945) The World War II battle, which started on April 1st of that same year, left 12,520 Americans and 110,000 Japanese dead.
The worst circus train wreck in history kills 86 people. (1918) The Hammond circus train crashed near Hammond, Indiana. There were 400 performers onboard.
One of the largest hailstones in history hit Nebraska. (2003) The piece of ice measured 7 inches (18 centimeters) in diameter.
Meryl Streep was born. (1949) An American actress, Streep is well known for such movies as Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Doubt and Julie & Julia. She holds the record for most Academy Award nominations at 16 and for Golden Globe nominations at 25.
Fred Astaire died. (1987) An American film and stage dancer, Astaire may be most famous for his work with Ginger Rogers. The American Film Institute named Astaire the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time.
Judy Garland died. (1969) An American actress and singer, Garland worked in the entertainment industry for all but two years of her life. She is perhaps best known for her 1939 role in The Wizard of Oz. She won a multitude of awards, including Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy awards, and in 1997 she was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Garland died when she was just 47 of a drug overdose.
German author Erich Maria Remarque was born. (1898) Remarque may be best known for writing the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. He was the author of 15 novels and many other works.