1539 Hernando de Soto lands in Florida and would soon become the first European to discover the Mississippi.

1664 The first Baptist Church is organized (Boston)

1754 The first engagement of the French and Indian War took place. It was led by a young Lieutenant Colonel named George Washington. It pitted the British and American colonists on one side and the French and their broad network of Native Americans on the other. The war in Europe between the British and French was not officially declared until May 1756.

1849 Anne Bronte died, the youngest of the Bronte sisters. She was only 29 years old

1851 Sojourner Truth attends Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

1915 John B Gruelle patents Raggedy Ann doll

1923 The Attorney General says it is legal for women to wear trousers anywhere. Here’s more on trouser history. In 1995 the California legislature made it legal to wear pants to work. .

1923 US unemployment has nearly ended. And then came the depression

1937 Alfred Adler Austrian psychiatrist (Individual Psychology), dies at 67

1946 1st night game at Yankee Stadium (Senators 2, Yankees 1)

1953 Premier of 1st animated 3-D cartoon in Technicolor-"Melody"
and

1961 an article in the London Observer launched an "appeal for amnesty." A call for the release of all people imprisoned because of the peaceful expression of their beliefs. The idea came from Peter Benenson who wanted to publicize the rights of prisoners of conscience. Amnesty International, based itself on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created through the work of Eleanor Roosevelt.

1962 Wide World of Sports with Chris Schenkel premieres on CBS radio

1963 Jomo Kenyatta becomes first Prime Minister of Kenya

1963 Equal Pay Act passed aimed at remedying wage differentials based on gender.

1968 American League announces it is splitting into 2 divisions

1972 White House "plumbers" break into Democratic National HQ at Watergate

1986 The U.S. Court of Appeals upholds the conviction of writer Wall Street Journal columnist R. Foster Winans for securities fraud. Winans was giving two brokers at Kidder Peabody advance information about his column so they could take advantage of the price fluctuations and Winans received a kickback. There was relatively little money involved but the case became a symbol of Wall Street greed and corruption. And the best was yet to come. To keep up try economist Paul Krugman’s twice weekly New York Times column and his longer works can be found at the unofficial Paul Krugman archive site.

1892 The Sierra Club was founded..

1998 Phil[ip Edward] Hartman actor/comedian (NewsRadio, Saturday Night Live), shot to death while asleep in his bed by his wife. He was 49

Notable Birthdays

1858 Lizzie Black Kander (settlement and relief worker, cook book writer, educator)

1876 Katharine Blunt (educator, home economist, nutritionist)

1940 Maeve Binchy Both a fiction writer and columnist for the Irish Times.

1888 Jim Thorpe voted greatest athlete of the first half of the 20^th century

1908 Ian Fleming creator of James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

1910 T-Bone Walker, blues guitarist (Funky Town, Well Done)

1916 Walker Percy AL, author (Adventures of a Bad Catholic)

1919 May Swenson (poet)

1944 Rudy Giuliani the former Mayor of New York. And Presidential candidate

1971 Ekaterina Gordeeva (Olympic pairs skater)

Quote for Today