| On this date in: |
| 1799 |
George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” |
| 1865 |
James H. Nason of Franklin, Mass., received a patent for a coffee percolator. |
| 1893 |
Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong was born in Hunan province. |
| 1908 |
Jack Johhnson became the first black heavyweight boxing champion when he knocked out Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia. |
| 1917 |
The U.S. government took over operation of the nation’s railroads. |
| 1944 |
Tennessee Williams’ play “The Glass Menagerie” premiered at the Civic Theatre in Chicago. |
| 1947 |
Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast, burying New York City under 25.8 inches of snow in 16 hours; the severe weather was blamed for some 80 deaths. |
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| AP Photo/John Lent |
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| 1972 |
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, died in Kansas City, Mo., at age 88. |
| 1996 |
Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colo. The slaying remains unsolved. |
| 2004 |
Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts broke Dan Marino’s single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 48th and 49th of the season in a victory over San Diego. |
| 2006 |
Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 93. |
