Today in 1861, Crittenden resolution was passed stating that the war is to be fought to preserve union and uphold the Constitution, not to alter slavery.
Today in 1918, Annette Adams was sworn in as the first woman district attorney in the United States.
Today in 1956, the Italian luxury ship, the Andrea Doria, sank near Nantucket after crashing with the Swedish ship, Stockholm. Rescuers were able to save most of the 1600 passengers; there were only 51 casualties.
Today in 1969, a week after the famed Chappaquiddick accident, which claimed the life of Mary Jo Kopechne, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy pleaded guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
Today in 1979, President Carter issued a letter absolving Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who had treated the broken leg on John Wilkes Booth, of any role in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.
Today in 1984, Soviet Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space when she left her space capsule.
Today in 1985, Rock Hudson's publicist confirmed reports that he was being treated for AIDS at a hospital in Paris. Hudson died the following October.
Today in 1990, comedienne Roseanne sparked controversy with an off-key rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" to a booing audience during a double-header at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Not only did she s screech her way through the song, she wrapped things up by scratching herself “down there” and spitting. President Bush called the performance "disgusting."
Today in 1996, divers searching the wreckage of TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
Today in 1997, Autumn Jackson, the young woman who claimed to be Bill Cosby's out-of-wedlock daughter, was convicted of trying to extort $40-million from the entertainer by a federal jury in New York.
Today in 1998, President Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury regarding the Monica Lewinsky case. The subpoena was withdrawn when Clinton agreed to give videotaped testimony with his lawyers present.
Today in 1999, Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France. Just the second American to ever win the race, it was later erased once the truth about his doping was revealed. That’s also why, officially? This (and every other Tour de France he ever won) are now listed as having no winner.
Today in 2010, Wikileaks released more than 90,000 internal reports involving the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan to the public.
Today in 2017, research published in "Human Reproduction Update" journal revealed that sperm counts had halved in last 40 years.
Today in 2018, a liquid lake found on Mars under its South Pole by European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter was reported in "Science."
Today in 2018, Georgia representative James Spencer resigned after being fooled into saying racial slurs on Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America."