Today in 1853, Russel L. Hawes patented the first machine to fold envelopes.
Today in 1939, Lou Gehrig retired from baseball during an incredible ceremony before 61-thousand fans, in which he offered his famed “Luckiest Man” speech.
Today in 1948,Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record, the 33 1/3, in New York City.
Today in 1964, civil rights workers Michael H. Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James E. Chaney disappeared in Philadelphia, Mississippi – their bodies were found buried in an earthen dam six weeks later. Fast forward 41-years later to 2005? Edgar Ray Killen, an 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klansman, was found guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to 60 years in prison, where he died in January 2018. The story was memorialized in the film, “Mississippi Burning.”
Today in 1982, a jury in Washington DC found John Hinckley Jr. innocent by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Reagan and three other men.
Today in 1989, the Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag as a form of political protest is protected by the First Amendment.
Today in 1994, American teen-ager Michael Fay was released from a Singapore prison, where he'd been flogged for vandalism.
Today in 2000, some 55 years after World War II ended, 22 Asian-American veterans received the Medal of Honor for bravery on the battlefield during a White House ceremony.
Today in 2001, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo became the first Hispanic woman to be honored on a US postage stamp.
Today in 2003, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" the fifth book of the series byJ. K. Rowlingwas published worldwide in English.
Today in 2004, SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight.
Today in 2021, Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player in the NFL in a post on Instagram. He’s currently a free-agent, after being released in March 2022.