| On this date in: |
| 1792 |
Kentucky became the 15th state. |
| 1796 |
Tennessee became the 16th state. |
| 1868 |
James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, died near Lancaster, Pa., at age 77. |
| 1925 |
Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig’s streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games began when he entered a game as a pinch hitter for the New York Yankees. |
| 1926 |
Actress Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortensen in Los Angeles. |
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| AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman |
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| 1958 |
Charles de Gaulle became premier of France. |
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| AP Photo |
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| 1968 |
Deaf and blind author and educator Helen Keller died at age 87. |
| 1980 |
CNN made its debut. |
| 2009 |
Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330 carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of everyone on board. |
| 2009 |
General Motors filed for Chapter 11, becoming the largest U.S. industrial company to enter bankruptcy protection. |
| 2009 |
Conan O’Brien debuted as host of NBC’s “Tonight Show.” (He stepped down in January after a dispute with the network.) |
| 2010 |
Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, announced their separation after 40 years of marriage. |
