Today in 1776, Rhode Island established wage and price controls to curb inflation: the limit was 70-cents a day for carpenters, 42-cents for tailors.
Today in 1879, Edison gave the first public demonstration of his incandescent lamp.
Today in 1935, a patent was issued for the game of Monopoly by the Parker Brothers.
Today in 1938, Dr. R.N. Harger's "drunkometer," the first breath test for car drivers, was officially introduced in Indianapolis.
Today in 1967, the Green Bay Packers won the National Football League championship game by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 21-17. The game became known as the "Ice Bowl" because it was played in a wind chill of 40 degrees below zero.
Today in 1968, Evel Knievel, stunt performing daredevil, lost control of his motorcycle midway through a jump of 141-feet over the ornamental fountains in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He rang in the New Year with a crushed femur and pelvis, as well as numerous fractures.
Today in 1972, baseball great Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash while trying to deliver emergency supplies to Nicaragua after a violent earthquake. For those paying attention, his incredible humanitarian efforts are why the MLB’s Robert Clemente Award is presented every year to the player that shows the most sportsmanship and kindness.
Today in 1975, Elvis Presley performed for 60,000 fans at the Silverdome, in Pontiac, Michigan. He set a world record by earning $800,000 for a single concert by a single artist.
Today in 1984, the nation's first mandatory seat belt law went into effect at midnight in New York State.
Today in 1985, former teen idol Ricky Nelson died in a plane crash near DeKalb, Texas.
Today in 1985, more than 54-thousand people assembled in downtown Rochester, New York to perform "A Bicycle Built for Two” on kazoos. They made the “Guinness Book of World Records” for their stunt.
Today in 1999, the United States handed over the Panama Canal to Panama at Noon local time.
Today in 1999, Russian president Boris Yeltsin officially stepped down and was replaced by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Today in 2015, American law enforcement killed 1,134 in 2015 – a truly sobering stat? Young black men were shown to be 9x more likely to be victims.
Today in 2017, the Cleveland Browns crashed to a 28-24 loss to Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field to become only the 2nd team in NFL history to finish season with 0-16 record.
Today in 2018, Houston guard James Harden scored 43 points in Rockets' 113-101 win over Memphis Grizzlies; his fourth straight NBA game with 40+ points and eighth straight with 35+. He joined Oscar Robertson as only player with at least 35 points & five assists in eight straight games.