Today in 1854, the Republican Party was founded by opponents of slavery.
Today in 1952, the U.S. Senate ratified a peace treaty with Japan.
Today in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered 4,000 troops to protect marchers for the Selma-Montgomery civil rights.
Today in 1965, civil and women's rights activist Dorothy Height had her first column published in the weekly African-American newspaper, "New York Amsterdam News."
Today in 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers could not exclude women from jobs where exposure to toxic chemicals could potentially damage a fetus.
Today in 1993, Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White announced plans to retire. (White's departure paved the way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg to become the court's second female justice.)
Today in 1997, the maker of Chesterfield cigarettes, Liggett Group, settled 22 state lawsuits when after admitting to marketing cigarettes to teenagers. The company agreed to produce every pack with a warning label stating smoking is addictive.
Today in 1998, President Clinton's lawyer, appearing before a federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas, declared that Paula Jones' evidence of sexual harassment was "garbage" and unworthy of a trial. Maybe so, but in November of that year, Clinton paid her $850-thousand to drop the suit. She did. Soon after, the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal took center stage.
Today in 2016, Barack Obama became the first American President to visit Cuba since 1928, arriving for a two-day tour.