Today in 1848, the Oregon Territory was established.
Today in 1935, the Social Security Act signed by F.D.R. became law, creating unemployment insurance and pension plans for the elderly.
Today in 1962, robbers held up a U.S. mail truck in Plymouth, Massachusetts making off with more than $1.5-million. The heist remains unsolved.
Today in 1965, the first nuclear ship named for an African American, the USS George Washington Carver, was launched at Newport News, Virginia. In June 1991 after completing 73 Strategic Deterrent Patrols Carver, the vessel began a new career as a Fast Attack Submarine for the Pacific Fleet. It was ultimately was decommissioned on March 18, 1993 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
Today in 1973, the U.S. ceased bombing of Cambodia, marking the official end of 12 years of American combat in Indochina.
Today in 1980, "Playboy" magazine's Playmate of the Year, Dorothy Stratten, was murdered by her estranged husband, Paul Snider. He then committed suicide.
Today in 1986, American officials confirmed that members of Mexico's police force had abducted, interrogated and tortured U.S. DEA agent Victor Cortez Jr.
Today in 1991, the Justice Department accused General Electric of fraud for billing the Pentagon $30-million for the non-existent sale of F-16 parts to the Israeli military.
Today in 1992, the White House announced that the Pentagon would begin emergency airlifts of food to Somalia to alleviate mass deaths by starvation.
Today in 1995, Shannon Richey Faulkner officially became the first female cadet in the history of The Citadel, South Carolina's state military college. She quit a week later with 29 others.
Today in 1997, an unrepentant Timothy McVeigh was formally sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing. He was put to death by lethal injection at 8:14ET on Monday, June 11, 2001.
Today in 1998, a Federal Appeals court in Richmond, Virginia ruled that the Food and Drug Administration had no authority to regulate tobacco.
Today in 2000, Valujet was ordered to pay $11-million in fines and restitution for hazardous waste violations in the crash that killed 110 people in 1996.
Today in 2003, a wide scale power outage struck the northeast United States and Canada.
Today in 2010, the first ever Youth Olympics officially began in Singapore.
Today in 2015, the American Embassy in Havana, Cuba re-opened after its closure 54 years earlier.
Today in 2015, Eduardo Rodriguez performed the most extensive face transplant surgery on former firefighter Patrick Hardison at New York University Langone Medical Center.
Today in 2017, President Donald Trump condemned racist violence at the White House after criticism of his earlier response to Charlottesville violence.
Today in 2018, at the conclusion of a two-year investigation, a Pennsylvania grand jury alleged that 300 "predator priests" had abused over 1000 children over 30 years and Catholic leaders covered it up.