Today in 1778, New Orleans businessman Oliver Pollock created the "$" symbol.
Today in 1898,the first S. automobile was sold. Mining engineer Robert Allison paid $1,000 for a Winton.
Today in 1918, America's worst epidemic – the second worst in the world at the time – broke out. The Swine Flu killed 1.5-million Americans and over 21-million people worldwide.
Today in 1972, the Universal Product Code, better known as the "bar code" was introduced to supermarkets as a way to speed up checkout lines – and it clicked. The first UPC marked item ever scanned at a retail checkout was at the Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio at 8:01am on June 26, 1974. It was a 10-pack (50 sticks) of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum.
Today in 1976, Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.
Today in 1984, Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father, Marvin Gay (proper spelling), Sr. in Los Angeles, the day before the recording star’s 45th The elder Gay pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and received probation. Holding him in his final moments, Marvin Jr’s brother Frankie said that Gaye’s final words were, “I got what I wanted….I couldn’t do it myself, so I made him do it.”
Today in 1991, the minimum wage in the United States went from $3.80 to $4.25 per hour.
Today in 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal.
Today in 2004, Google introduced Gmail. But because of the launch date? A lot of people didn’t believe it. They soon did.
Today in 2013, the world’s first “smelling” TV screen was unveiled in Japan.