The Cuban Missile Crisis began. (1962) The US collected photographic evidence that the Soviet Union had positioned missiles about 90 miles (144 kilometers) off the US coast. The missiles were capable of transporting nuclear warheads. The tense situation that arose in the next two weeks would bring the US and Soviet Union the closest the two countries had ever been to nuclear war.
US President Theodore Roosevelt was shot while campaigning for a third term. (1912) John Schrank, a saloon owner, shot President Roosevelt at close range. The bullet failed to kill the President, as it was partially blocked by obstacles. With the bullet still lodged in his chest, Roosevelt gave his speech. Schrank was confined to a mental institution for the rest of his life.
Tea ships belonging to the British East India Company were set on fire, a precursor to the start of the American Revolutionary War. (1773) The ships were set on fire in Annapolis, Maryland, to protest the tax rebate the British East India Company received when delivering tea. The tax exemption gave the company a strong competitive edge over its American colonial competitor companies. The protest was a precursor to the Boston Tea Party and the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
The world’s first movie was filmed. (1888) French inventor Louis Le Prince shot the motion picture Roundhay Garden Scene, which lasted for about two seconds. The footage is the oldest surviving film footage in world history.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., won the Nobel Peace Prize. (1964) The civil rights leader won the prize for his nonviolent campaign against racial discrimination. He was the youngest recipient of the prize.
Germany withdrew from the League of Nations. (1933) The League of Nations was an organization of governments, somewhat similar to today’s United Nations. Its purpose was to prevent a second world war. Germany was the first of many countries to withdraw, and the beginning of World War II in 1939 marked the end of the organization’s existence.
US President Ronald Reagan announced the start of the “War on Drugs.” (1982) The campaign, which continues today, works in cooperation with several countries around the world to bring an end to the illegal drug trade.
Greece was freed from Nazi occupation. (1944) The British military reclaimed the city during World War II, allowing the exiled Greek leaders to return home.
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier — he was the first human to do so. (1947) Yeager flew the Bell X-1 rocket over an airbase in California at speeds faster than sound. It was the first time the sound barrier had been broken in level flight and the first time it was broken with a human pilot.
The first live broadcast from space was transmitted. (1968) The crew on NASA’s Apollo 7 mission, the first successful manned mission to the Moon, broadcast live from the spacecraft.
George Eastman was awarded the patent for his photographic film strip invention. (1884) Eastman, who also invented roll film, was the founder of the Eastman Kodak company.