Today in 1636, Harvard College was founded in Massachusetts.
Today in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was unveiled and dedicated. A gift from France, it weighs 225-tons and stands 152-feet high. The monument was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland, who celebrated with the first confetti (ticker tape) parade in New York City.
Today in 1904, fingerprinting was used for the first time by the St. Louis Police Department. While the process had begun being used by police departments for a few years, the St. Louis PD was the first to set up a Fingerprint Bureau.
Today in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson's veto of Prohibition Enforcement Bill was overridden – and America entered the Prohibition Era.
Today in 1981, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series when they beat the New York Yankees, 9 to 2, in game six.
Today in 1989, the Oakland A's won the earthquake-interrupted World Series, completing a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants.
Today in 1995, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians, 1-0, to win the World Series in Game
Today in 1996, Richard Jewell, cleared of committing the Olympic park bombing, held a news conference in Atlanta in which he thanked his mother for standing by him and lashed out at reporters and investigators who had depicted him as the bomber.
Today in 1997, NBA announced the hiring of Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer as the first women to officiate a major-league all-male sports league.
Today in 2005, Lewis Libby, Vice-President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff was indicted in the Valerie Plame case. She had been outed as a CIA operative by Robert Novak. Libby later resigned that day.
Today in 2018, Boston Red Sox beat the LA Dodgers, 5-1 in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium to win their 9th World Series in franchise history.