| On this date in: |
| 1861 |
The federal government levied an income tax for the first time. |
| 1884 |
The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor. |
| 1924 |
The comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” by Harold Gray made its debut. |
| 1930 |
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio. |
| 1957 |
“American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, made its network TV debut on ABC. |
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| AP Photo |
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| 1963 |
The United States, Britain and the Soviet Union signed a treaty in Moscow banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater. |
| 1966 |
The album “Revolver” by the Beatles was released. |
| 1969 |
The U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back photographs and scientific data. |
| 1981 |
The federal government began firing striking air traffic controllers. |
| 2001 |
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban jailed eight foreign aid workers, including two Americans, for allegedly preaching Christianity. |
| 2009 |
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term as Iran’s president. |
| 2010 |
The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan as the Supreme Court’s 112th justice and the fourth woman in its history. The vote was 63-37. |
| 2010 |
Thirty-three workers were trapped in a copper mine in northern Chile after a tunnel caved in. (They were rescued after being entombed for 69 days). |
| 2011 |
Standard & Poor’s lowered the United States’ AAA credit rating by one notch to AA-plus. |
