Today in 1624, Massachusetts became the first colony to give statutory recognition to slavery. It was abolished in July 1783.
Today in 1824, US House of Representatives began to decide outcome of election deadlock between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson (Adams won) – as no candidate received the majority of electoral votes.
Today in 1913, Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Company established the first moving assembly line for the Model T.
Today in 1939, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created for a Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue by an advertising man named Robert May.
Today in 1952,The “New York Daily News” reported the first successful sexual reassignment operation. The patient?Christine Jorgensen. George Jorgensen, a former G.I. who had gone to Denmark in 1950, had undergone 2,000 hormone injections and six operations. Jorgensen said in 1989, the year of her death, that she had given the sexual revolution a "good swift kick in the pants". She died of bladder and lung cancer four-weeks short of her 63rd
Today in 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, broke the law by refusing to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white man. Her bold move began a yearlong boycott of the bus line by blacks and ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that blacks no longer had to take seats in the back of buses. This single act is often cited as the beginning of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. – though it should be noted that the first black woman to be arrested for such a crime was Claudette Colvin.
Today in 1964, the Houston Colt .45s changed their name to the Houston Astros.
Today in 1992, the Senate Ethics Committee started an investigation into allegations that Oregon Senator Bob Packwood sexually harassed women who worked for him. He denied it, but when a large number of women came forward with similar stories, he ultimately resigned from the Senate.
Today in 1998, Exxon announced a $80-billion deal to buy Mobil, thus creating Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest company (at the time).
Today in 2014, Elizabeth Lauten, an aide to a Republican congressman resigned after her online criticism of President Barack Obama's teenage daughters.
Today in 2017, President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn plead guilty to lying to the FBI.