Today in 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, it would go on to destroy Pompeii and in the end, 15-thousand people died.
Today in 1814, Washington, D.C. was invaded by British forces, which also set fire to the White House and Capitol.
Today in 1869, Cornelius Swarthout received a patent for the waffle iron.
Today in 1959, three days after Hawaiian statehood, Hiram L. Fong was sworn in as the first Chinese-American U.S. senator while Daniel K. Inouye was sworn in as the first Japanese-American U.S. representative.
Today in 1963, John Pennel pole-vaulted 17-feet and 3/4 inches, becoming the first to break the 17-foot barrier.
Today in 1970, a bomb went off at the University of Wisconsin's Army Math Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The bomb, which killed Robert Fassnacht, was set by anti-war extremists.
Today in 1974, Davey Lopes of the Los Angeles Dodgers set a major league baseball record when he stole five bases in one game to tie a National League record set by Giant Dan McGann on May 27, 1904.
Today in 1986, Frontier Airlines shut down without warning due to financial troubles. Thousands of people were left stranded.
Today in 1987, Marine Sergeant Clayton Lonetree was sentenced to 30-years in prison by a military jury for giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union. Caught in a classic “honeypot” scheme, Lonetree was the first Marine to ever be convicted of espionage.
Today in 1989, Pete Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, was banned from baseball for life for gambling on baseball.
Today in 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida causing 55 deaths in the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana.
Today in 1998, U.S. officials cited a soil sample as part of the evidence that a Sudan plant was producing precursors to the VX nerve gas, and, therefore made it a target for U.S. missiles that landed on August 20th, 1998.
Today in 1998, a donation of 24 beads was made, from three parties, to the Indian Museum of North America at the Crazy Horse Memorial. The beads are said to be those that were used in 1626 to buy Manhattan from the Indians.
Today in 1998, the U.S. and Britain agreed on the Netherlands as the site for the trial of two Libyan suspects for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.
Today in 2001, Bridgestone/Firestone agreed to settle out of court and pay a reported $7.5-million to a family in a rollover accident in their Ford Explorer.
Today in 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefined the term "planet" such that Pluto lost standing and is now considered a Dwarf Planet.
Today in 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that for the first time, one-billion people logged into Facebook.
Today in 2016, astronomers announced discovery of earth-like planet named Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star, Proxima Centauri. Sadly, in August 2017 it was revealed that the planet is unable to support life.
Today in 2021, Kathy Hochul became the first female Governor of New York, replacing Andrew Cuomo after his resignation.