Today in 1846, the artificial leg was first patented by Benjamin F. Palmer of Meredith, New Hampshire.
Today in 1880, the first cash register was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, Ohio.
Today in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge was re-elected. He had succeeded to the Presidency upon the sudden death of Warren G. Harding in 1923. Elected in his own right in 1924, he gained a reputation as a small government conservative, and also as a man who said very little, although having a fair sense of humor.
Today in 1939, air conditioners first appeared in cars made by the Packard Motor Company in Chicago.
Today in 1979, the Iranian hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran. For some of the hostages, it was the start of 444 days of captivity.
Today in 1980, former California Governor Ronald Reagan was elected our 40th He won in a landslide victory over Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter.
Today in 1999, the United Nations imposed economic sanctions against the Taliban that controlled most of Afghanistan. The sanctions were imposed because the Taliban had refused to turn over Osama bin Laden, who had been charged with masterminding the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Today in 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-American to be elected President of the United States.
Today in 2014, Americans voted in mid-term elections: Republicans retained the House & regained the Senate.
Today in 2014, Tim Scott became the first African-American Congressman from South Carolina since 1897. He had been appointed as senator in 2013 after South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley named him to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint. Scott ran in a special election in 2014 for the final two years of DeMint's second term, and won the seat.