| On this date in: |
| 1782 |
The United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. |
| 1804 |
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase went on trial, accused of political bias. (He was acquitted by the Senate.) |
| 1835 |
Author Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in Florida, Mo. |
| 1929 |
Producer and “American Bandstand” host Dick Clark was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y. |
| 1962 |
U Thant of Burma was elected secretary-general of the United Nations, succeeding the late Dag Hammarskjold. |
| 1966 |
The former British colony of Barbados became independent. |
| 1979 |
The album “The Wall” by Pink Floyd was released. |
| 1982 |
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the best-selling album of all time, was released by Epic Records. |
| 1993 |
President Bill Clinton signed into law the Brady bill, which requires a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks of prospective buyers. |
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| AP Photo Marcy Nighswander |
|
| 1993 |
Authorities in California arrested Richard Allen Davis, who confessed to abducting and killing 12 year-old Polly Klaas of Petaluma. |
| 1995 |
President Bill Clinton became the first U.S. chief executive to visit Northern Ireland. |
| 1999 |
The opening of a 135-nation trade gathering in Seattle was disrupted by at least 40,000 demonstrators, some of whom clashed with police. |
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| AP Photo/Peter Dejong |
|
| 2004 |
Ken Jennings’ streak of 74 wins on the TV game show “Jeopardy!” came to an end. |
| 2010 |
Pentagon leaders called for scrapping the 17-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban after releasing a survey about the prospect of openly gay troops. |
