Today in 1929, the bottom fell out of Wall Street in the stock market crash that brought on the Great Depression. It was called "Black Tuesday" as prices dropped in panic selling. Thousands were left instantly poor and the "Roaring Twenties" came to an end. The Depression would last almost ten years.
Today in 1994, Francisco Martin Duran fired more than two-dozen shots at the White House while standing on Pennsylvania Ave. Duran was later convicted of trying to kill President Clinton.
Today in 1998, in Freehold, New Jersey, Melissa Drexler was sentenced to 15 years in prison for strangling her baby after giving birth in the bathroom at her senior prom. She was released in November 2001 – after serving only little over three years.
Today in 1998, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with John Glenn on board. Glenn was the oldest man to go into space at the age of 77. In 1962, he had been the first American to orbit the Earth.
Today in 2004, the Arabic news network Al Jazeera broadcasted an excerpt from a video of Osama bin Laden admitted direct responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Today in 2011, a record-breaking snowstorm in the northeast left nearly 2-million residents without power for more than 36 hours.
Today in 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey resulting in 110 deaths and $50-billion in damages and forced the New York stock exchange to close.
Today in 2014, the San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series. Madison Bumgarner was named the World Series MVP.