On this date…
1789 – A regular army was established by the U.S. War Department with several hundred men.
1829 – The first public appearance by London’s re-organized police force was met with jeers from political opponents. The force became known as Scotland Yard.
1951 – The first network football game was televised by CBS-TV in color. The game was between the University of California and the University of Pennsylvania.
1962 – U.S. President John F. Kennedy nationalized the Mississippi National guard in response to city officials defying federal court orders. The orders had been to enroll James Meredith at the University of Mississippi.
1967 – The International Monetary Fund reformed monetary systems around the world.
1978 – Pope John Paul I is found dead in his Vatican apartment a little more than a month after being appointed Pope.
1982 – In Chicago, IL, seven people died after taking capsules of Extra-Strength Tylenol that had been laced with cyanide. 264,000 bottles were recalled.
1983 – The War Powers Act was used for the first time by the U.S. Congress when they authorized President Reagan to keep U.S. Marines in Lebanon for 18 more months.
1983 – “A Chorus Line” with performance number 3,389 became the longest running show on Broadway.
1986 – Mary Lou Retton announced that she was quitting gymnastics.
1988 – The space shuttle Discovery took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It was the first manned space flight since the Challenger disaster.
1990 – “Millie’s Book” by First Lady Barbara Bush was the best-selling non-fiction book in the U.S.
1992 – Magic Johnson announced that he was returning to professional basketball. The comeback ended the following November.
1994 – The U.S. House voted to end the practice of lobbyist buying meals and entertainment for members of Congress.
1998 – Hasbro announced plans to introduce an action figure of retired U.S. General Colin Powell.
2008 – The Dow Industrial Average lost 777 points. It was the largest one-day decline to date. The drop came after the U.S. House of Representatives had voted down a $700 billion bank bailout plan.
Today’s Birthdays
Anita Ekberg, Actress, 84
Jerry Lee Lewis, Rock singer, musician, 80
Bill Nelson, U.S. senator, D-Fla., 73
Jean-Luc Ponty, Jazz violinist, 73
Bryant Gumbel, TV personality, 67
Gwen Ifill, Broadcast journalist, 60
Andrew “Dice” Clay, Comedian, 58
Roger Bart, Actor, 53
Jill Whelan, Actress (“The Love Boat”), 49
Erika Eleniak, Actress, 46
Brad Cotter, Country singer (“Nashville Star”), 45
Kevin Durant, Basketball player, 27
Phillip Phillips, Singer (“American Idol”), 25
Actor Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) turns 73 years old today.