Today in 1776, the first vote on Declaration of Independence for Britain's North American colonies was held.
Today in 1881, Charles J. Guiteau shot President Garfield at the Washington railroad station. Garfield died eleven weeks later on September 19, 1881 and became the second of four Presidents to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln and preceding William McKinley and John F. Kennedy.
Today in 1917, two-days of race rioting in East St. Louis, Illinois ended - white mobs had attacked Black residents and as many as 250 Black Americans are believed to have died in the violence.
Today in 1926, Congress established the Army Air Corps.
Today in 1937, famed aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator.
Today in 1947, an object crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. The Air Force insisted it was a weather balloon, but eyewitness accounts gave rise to speculation it might have been an alien spacecraft.
Today in 1964, Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law after passing through Congress after 83-day filibuster in Senate. Led by Richard Russell (D-GA), who launched a filibuster to prevent its passage, the "Southern Bloc" was held by 18 southern Democratic Senators and one Republican Senator led. During one of his impassioned speeches, Russell said: "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states."The most fervent opposition to the bill had come from Senator Strom Thurmond (D-SC): "This so-called Civil Rights Proposals, which the President has sent to Capitol Hill for enactment into law, are unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise and extend beyond the realm of reason. This is the worst civil-rights package ever presented to the Congress and is reminiscent of the Reconstruction proposals and actions of the radical Republican Congress.
Today in 1976, the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was not inherently cruel or unusual.
Today in 1980, President Jimmy Carter reinstated draft registration for males 18 years of age.
Today in 1982, Larry Walters, using a lawn chair hoisted by 42 helium-filled weather balloons, rose to 16,000-feet after taking off from San Pedro, California.
Today in 1993, the White House acknowledged that it had erred in firing seven travel office employees and urging the FBI to investigate them.
Today in 1996, electricity and phone service was knocked out for millions of customers from Canada to the Southwest after power lines throughout the West failed on a record-hot day.
Today in 1998, apologizing to viewers and Vietnam veterans for "serious faults" in its reporting CNN retracted a story that alleged that U.S. commandos had used nerve gas to kill American defectors during the war.
Today in 1999, former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong was shot to death in Skokie, Illinois. He was among the victims of a three-day shooting rampage involving a white supremacist that targeted minorities in Illinois and Indiana. Aside from Byrdsong, the shooter gunned Korean doctoral student down Won-Joon Yoon and injured six Orthodox Jews, one black minister. He missed a number of others before committed suicide.
Today in 2002, Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.
Today in 2005, MTV and VH1 aired the eight-hour long “Live 8” concerts featuring U2, Coldplay, Madonna, Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child, which were held in eight cities around the world to raise awareness of poverty in Africa. The originals members of Pink Floyd played the concert in London, which marked the first time they had played together in over 24 years.
Today in 2017, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie caused an uproar by soaking up the sun with a day at the beach during his government's shutdown of beaches.
Today in 2017, President Donald Trump tweeted edited wrestling video of himself attacking news network CNN.
Today in 2018, British divers discovered 12 boys and their coach alive in Tham Luang Nang Non cave, Thailand after being trapped for 9 days by monsoon flooding.