Today in 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr shot former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton in a pistol duel, near Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton died the next day.
Today in 1937, George Gershwin died while a Hollywood surgeon was trying to operate on his brain tumor. One of Gershwin's last words was to complain that movie mogul Sam Goldwyn had come to visit him, and complained that Gershwin was concentrating too much on writing serious music. He was just 38.
Today in 1977, the Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Today in 1981, Neva Rockefeller became the first woman ordered by the court to pay alimony to her husband.
Today in 1985, H. Harlan Stone announced that he had used zippers for stitches on 28 patients. The zippers were used when he thought he may have to re-operate. The move wasn’t without controversy – and while the concept is still in use – the old version, thankfully, is not.
Today in 1989, actor Laurence Olivier died at the age of 82.
Today in 1995, full diplomatic relations were established between the United States and Vietnam.
Today in 2008, Apple released the iPhone 3G.
Today in 2011, Neptune completed its first orbit since its discovery on September 23, 1846.
Today in 2015, the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escaped from Altiplano maximum-security prison west of Mexico City via a specially constructed mile-long tunnel from his cell to a nearby house. He was recaptured, of course...and extradited to the United States in January 2017.