The “Saturday Night Massacre” occurred. (1973) In one famous evening, US President Nixon ordered the firing of Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor who had found evidence of Nixon’s wrongdoing and abuse of power during the Watergate Scandal investigation. Elliot Richardson, the Attorney General, refused to fire Cox and resigned, as did William Ruckelshaus, the Deputy Attorney General. Cox finally was fired by Robert Bork, the Solicitor General. The brow-raising events resulted in the House Judiciary Committee inquiring into the possible impeachment of President Nixon two days later. President Nixon resigned about a year later in August 9, 1974, amid the impending impeachment.
The US Congress began its investigation into communist activity in the Hollywood movie industry. (1947) Congress established the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to question witnesses and gather names of suspected communists among the Hollywood elite. The inquiry resulted in a blacklist of about 325 actors, directors and writers, whose work was banned for many years thereafter.
The Louisiana Purchase was ratified by the US Senate. (1803) The US bought the Louisiana territory from France for just over $11 million US Dollars (USD) and agreed to cancel all of France’s debts to the US. The total purchase price, about $15 million USD, is equal to over $215 million USD today.
The US-Canadian border was established. (1818) The US and the UK signed the Convention of 1818, also called the Treaty of 1818, which roughly set the northern boundary of the US at the 49th parallel.
Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the US were established for the first time. (1947) The agreement established military and economic assistance from the US to Pakistan.
The Continental Association was created by the US Continental Congress. (1774) Under the Continental Association, all trade between Britain and the US was banned. The ban was a protest against the “intolerable acts” committed by Britain against the US colonies after the Boston Tea Party incident. The US Revolutionary War to win US independence from Britain began the following April.
The Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion occurred, killing 130 people and completely destroying 30 blocks on the east side of Cleveland. (1944) The natural gas explosion changed the way natural gas was stored in US cities. Where storage tanks had been stored aboveground, the explosion resulted storing natural gas underground.
The “Johnny Bright Incident” occurred in Oklahoma, changing NCAA football rules and causing racial outrage. (1951) The incident involved a white player, Wilbanks Smith playing for the Oklahoma A&M Aggies, violently attacking a black player, Johnny Bright playing for the Drake Bulldogs, during game play. Smith attacked Bright multiple times during the game, knocking him unconscious three times and breaking his jaw. Oklahoma A&M and the NCAA refused to punish Smith, and Drake University cut ties with the NCAA in protest. The incident did, however, cause the NCAA to establish rules against illegal blocking and increase its requirement for safety equipment. In 2005, a formal apology was issued from Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University, expressing regret over the situation.
A Major League Baseball World Series game was played outside the US for the first time. (1992) The game was played in Toronto, Ontario. The Atlanta Braves lost the game to the Toronto Blue Jays, 3 to 2.
Film footage was shot of a creature resembling Big Foot. (1967) Robert Gimlin and Roger Patterson shot the footage, which scientists have never been able to debunk nor authenticate. Patterson, on his death bed in 1972, swore the footage was real, and Gimlin attests to its authenticity to this day.