Today in 1858, Roland Macy opened Macy’s Department Store in New York City. The store, now at 34th and Broadway, remained the biggest store in the world until 2009 when South Korea’s Shinsegae Centumcity Department Store took the crown.
Today in 1904, the first subway cars were placed in operation, forming the New York City subway system. The cars operated between the Brooklyn Bridge and Broadway; from City Hall to W. 145th Street. This was the first underwater, underground rail system in the world.
Today in 1927, the first newsreel featuring sound was released in New York.
Today in 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn – “nylon.”
Today in 1985, former Navy man John Anthony Walker and his son, Michael, both pleaded guilty in a Baltimore court to charges of spying for the Soviet Union.
Today in 1989, the third game of the World Series, which had been delayed by the Loma Priet earthquake, was played at Candlestick Park. The Oakland A's defeated the San Francisco Giants, 13-to-7.
Today in 1994, the Justice Department announced that the prison population had exceeded one-million for the first time in American history.
Today in 1997, the Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 554.26 points, forcing the stock market to shut down for the first time since the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan.
Today in 1999, the New York Yankees won their second straight World Series, defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four, 4-to-1.
Today in 2004, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years.
Today in 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 people and injures six at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in an anti-Semitic attack.