Today in 1655, Lord Baltimore founded the catholic colony of Maryland.
Today in 1788, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.
Today in 1789, the actual “Mutiny on the Bounty” occurred, as the crew of the British ship The Bounty set Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in the South Pacific. Bligh survived the ordeal, while the mutineers landed on Pitcairn Island and began a new colony.
Today in 1967, Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the Army for religious reasons. He stated “I have no fight with these people,” referring to the Vietnamese. The WBC and the WBA stripped him of his titles.
Today in 1974, Operation Frequent Wind was underway as the last Americans were about to be evacuated from Saigon.
Today in 1986, the rest of the world discovered the truth of the Chernobyl disaster. The actual meltdown had occurred two days earlier, but the Soviets downplayed the reality at first.
Today in 1988, a flight attendant was killed and more than 60 passengers were injured when part of the roof of an Aloha Airlines Flight 243 tore off during a flight from Hilo to Honolulu.
Today in 1993, the first "Take Our Daughters to Work Day," promoted by the New York-based Ms. Foundation, was held in an attempt to boost the self-esteem of girls by having them visit a parent's place of work.
Today in 1994, former CIA official Aldrich Ames, who had betrayed U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pleaded guilty in Alexandria, Virginia, to espionage and tax evasion charges, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. So far as it’s known, Ames compromised the second-largest number of CIA agents—second only to those betrayed by Robert Hanssen.
Today in 1996, President Clinton gave a 4-1/2 hour videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.
Today in 2006, the Bush Administration announced they would attempt to halt the lawsuit accusing AT&T of illegally helping the National Security Agency spy on American citizens. The eight-page document was filed with a federal court in a northern district of California stating that the U.S. Department would intervene in the lawsuit. The case comes from the Electronic Frontier Foundation - a digital rights group based in San Francisco, who filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government in January claiming AT&T’s alleged cooperation violated the Constitution’s free speech and privacy rights.
Today in 2008, the Supreme Court issued a decision to uphold an Indiana law that required citizens to have a photo identification when voting, hoping to stop fraud. Critics argued that the law discriminated against poor voters, ethnic minorities and the elderly who are less likely to hold or be able to obtain a photo ID. The court ruled it did not constitute a burden on voters and that other states had similar laws.
Today in 2010, the Cape Wind Project, which is an offshore wind farm that covers 24-square miles and includes 130 horizontal-axis wind turbines was approved by the United States Secretary of the Interior. The Wind farm was predicted to generate 454 megawatts, making enough power for 420,000 homes. Cape Wind remained in the financing and final commercial contracting stage until December 2017, when it was finally declared dead.
Today in 2017, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for gun rights, telling attendees of a National Rifle Association convention in Atlanta that “the eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.”
Today in 2018, Shaquem Griffin became the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks.
Today in 2020, the Department of Defense released three declassified videos of possible UFOs from 2004 and 2015.