The world’s first stock ticker debuted in New York City. (1867) Invented by Edward Calahan, the stock ticker was able to provide instant updates to stock market prices over telegraph lines. The system was a revolutionary development for a process that previously relied upon mail or messengers to update market prices.
The Articles of Confederation were approved the the Second US Continental Congress. (1777) The articles, which were the precursor to the US Constitution, were approved after almost a year and a half of debate. They weren’t ratified until almost four years later, on March 1, 1781.
The first Wendy’s fast-food restaurant opened in the US. (1969) The first restaurant was opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Today, the restaurant has locations around the globe and is one of the largest hamburger fast food chains in the world.
The world’s first commercial single-chip microprocessor was introduced. (1971) Intel released the “Intel 4004,” the first computer chip to contain a complete central processing unit (CPU).
As many as half a million people participated in a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War. (1969) Between a quarter of a million and a half million people gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the war. The demonstration included a “March Against Death.”
Pike’s Peak was discovered. (1806) The mountain peak was discovered by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike during his second expedition to the western US. The mountain was named after him.
The first “Fairtrade” label was introduced. (1988) “Fairtrade” is a system of certification, guaranteeing a product meets the labor, environmental and developmental standards set by the FLO International. The first “Fairtrade” label was launched by the Max Havelaar Foundation in the Netherlands.
Gypsies were deemed by the Nazis to be in the same class as Jews and ordered to be sent to concentration camps. (1943) Nazi commander Heinrich Himmler determined the Gypsies were an inferior race and asocial — both of which required them to be sent to concentration camps via the Nazi racial policies.
The National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) debuted in the US. (1926) The network opened with 24 radio stations. The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) founded the broadcasting network, which was the first broadcasting network in the US.
The Jefferson Memorial cornerstone was laid. (1939) The cornerstone of the memorial, located in Washington D.C., was laid by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Construction took four years to complete.
Coventry, England, was bombed by the Germans during World War II as part of the “Blitz” campaign. (1940) The city was bombed for more than 10 hours, completely destroying the Coventry Cathedral and killing more than 500 people. The attack, called “Operation Midnight Sonata,” was part of the “Blitz” campaign that began with bombing attacks in London on September 7 earlier the same year. Two days later, England retaliated by sending its Royal Air Force to bomb Hamburg.
The murder that became the basis for Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood occurred. (1959) Perry Smith and Richard Hickock murdered Herbert Clutter, his wife and two of their children. Capote published his book, which detailed the brutal crime, in 1966. The book is considered a pioneer of the true crime literary genre.
Georgetown University opened. (1791) Georgetown, located in Washington, D.C., was the first Catholic university to open in the US.
The first modern version of the Olympic Games took place. (1859) The first games were funded by philanthropist Evangelis Zappas and were held in Athens, Greece. Athletes from the Ottoman Empire and Greece participated.
The first League of Nations assembly was held. (1920) The first assembly was held in Geneva. The League of Nations was the predecessor of the United Nations.