Today in 1810, Mexico issued Grito de Dolores, calling for the end of Spanish rule – this date is now known as Mexican Independence Day.
Today in 1928, a hurricane hit West Palm Beach-Lake Okeechobee Florida. The Okeechobee hurricane, also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane, was one of the deadliest hurricanes in the recorded history of the North Atlantic basin – and left three-thousand people dead.
Today in 1940, FDR signed the Selective Training & Service Act (the first peacetime draft).
Today in 1968, Richard Nixon first appeared on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" to say those immortal words, "Sock it to me!"
Today in 1974, President Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders.
Today in 1983, Arnold Schwarzenegger became a U.S. citizen. He had emigrated from Austria 14 years earlier.
Today in 1984, "Miami Vice” debuted on NBC-TV, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas. Crockett and Tubbs became the coolest cops in the history of television – and their look spawned a whole social style.
Today in 1988, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning pitched the 14th perfect game in Major League history, the first since September 1984.
Today in 1994, a federal court jury in Anchorage, Alaska, ordered Exxon to pay $5-billion dollars to the fishermen and natives whose lives were affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. It was the second largest assessment for punitive damages ever directed at one company, and the largest ever in a pollution case.
Today in 1995, after a heated media debate about the “sexist” nature of the swimsuit competition in the Miss America Pageant, a telephone poll found that a large majority of television viewers favored keeping it.
Today in 1998, in his first news conference since the release of the graphic Starr Report, President Clinton said he'd told "the essential truth" about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. When asked whether he might resign, Clinton responded by saying, “Americans want me to go on."
Today in 1998, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde responded to a report in an Internet publication, and admitted to "indiscretions" with a woman back in the 60s at a time when both were married.
Today in 2004, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a lockout of the players union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.
Today in 2007, OJ Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas for his involvement in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia from a hotel room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino. He was later convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges – and is serving nine to 33 years in a northern Nevada prison.
Today in 2010, the 54-year run of the soap opera “As The World Turns” ended as its final episode was aired.
Today in 2011, Occupy Wall Street movement began in New York City’s Zucotti Park.
Today in 2013, a shooting rampage at a naval yard in Washington, DC leaves 13 dead, including the gunman. It was the second-deadliest mass murder on a U.S. military base, behind only the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
Today in 2015, a report published in the journal, "Nature," shows that three-million people die each year of air pollution, more than malaria and HIV/Aids combined.
Today in 2018, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was first publicly accused of sexual assault in the 1980s with Christine Blasey Ford’s interview in "The Washington Post."
Today in 2018, the cycling land speed record for men and women was broken by Denise Mueller-Korenek…riding 183.932-mph on Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.