Today in 1866, Jesse James' gang held up their first bank in Missouri for $2000.
Today in 1929, it was announced that John D. Rockefeller was buying sound, common stocks to help stem the massive sell-off going on at the New York Stock Exchange. It didn't help. More than 10.7-million shares had been dumped the previous day and the market was in a free fall. The Great Depression was on and not even a Rockefeller could stop it.
Today in 1944, Sweden announced the intention to stay neutral & refuse sanctuary in WW II.
Today in 1954, the Defense Department announced elimination of all segregated regiments.
Today in 1961, the Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb with a force estimated at 58 megatons.
Today in 1983, the Reverend Jesse Jackson announced plans to become the first black to mount a full-scale campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Today in 1993, Martin Fettman, America's first veterinarian in space, performed the world's first animal dissections in space, aboard the shuttle "Columbia."
Today in 1997, a jury in Cambridge, Massachusetts convicted British au pair Louise Woodward of second-degree murder in the death of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen. She was later sentenced to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder, but only served 279 days. Why? An appeals court upheld the judge's decision to downgrade the charge to manslaughter. She has since returned to England and has a family of her own.
Today in 2013, the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.
Today in 2017, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort and associate Rick Gates were indicted on fraud charges, with advisor George Papadopoulos pleading guilty of to lying to the FBI.
Today in 2017, a federal judge blocked President Trump's ban on transgender people in the military. While his administration continued to fight it, trans people were allowed to serve, but new recruits were not allowed. That is, until April 2021, when the Pentagon dropped all restrictions against all trans people who want to serve.