Today in 1778, New Orleans businessman Oliver Pollock created the "$" symbol.
Today in 1853, Cincinnati became the first American city to pay firefighters a regular salary.
Today in 1889, the first dishwashing machine was marketed (in Chicago).
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 1931, Jackie Mitchell became the first female in professional baseball when she signed with the Chattanooga Lookouts Baseball Club. Pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts Class AA minor league baseball team in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, she struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in succession. A few days after Mitchell struck out Ruth and Gehrig, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis voided her contract and declared women unfit to play baseball as the game was "too strenuous.”
Today in 1960, the TIROS-1 weather satellite (Television & Infra-Red Observation Satellite)" was launched from Cape Canaveral. It was the first weather satellite.
Today in 1963, the soap opera, "General Hospital," began its long and popular run on ABC-TV. Not to be outdone, NBC-TV countered with "The Doctors." While “The Doctors” checked out in 1982, “GH” is still on the air today.
Today in 1972, the first Major League Baseball players’ strike began; it lasted 12 days.
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 1987, in his first major speech on the AIDS epidemic, President Reagan told doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy number one."
Today in 1991, the minimum wage in the United States went from $3.80 to $4.25 per hour.
Today in 1992, players began the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Today in 1998, a federal judge dismissed Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton saying that the claims fell "far short" of being worthy of a trial. The civil case continued, however, and was settled the following November. President Clinton reached an out-of-court settlement with Jones, agreeing to pay her $850,000.
Today in 1999, a New Jersey man was arrested and charged with originating the "Melissa" e-mail. David L. Smith later pleaded guilty to various state and federal charges.
Today in 2001, China began holding 24 crewmembers of a US surveillance plane. The EP-3E US Navy crew had made an emergency landing after an in-flight collision with a Chinese fighter jet. The Chinese pilot was missing and presumed dead. The US crew was released on April 11, 2001.
Today in 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal.
Today in 2002, Holland legalized euthanasia, becoming the first nation in the world to do so.
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.