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Stalin became the Soviet Union’s leader, Ellis Island closed, and the first meteor shower in North America was recorded. MLB elected its first commissioner, and the first photos of Saturn’s rings were transmitted. The Battle of Guadalcanal began, and “The Nose” was climbed for the first time. President Ford became the longest-serving US president, and Carter halted US oil imports from Iran.
Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union. (1927) Stalin replaced Leon Trotsky, who had been expelled from the Communist Party. Stalin forced Trotsky into exile and later sent assassins to kill him.
The WWII Battle of Guadalcanal begins. (1942) Three-day battle resulted in an Allied victory that gave sufficient strategic advantage to be the turning point in the six-month Guadalcanal campaign. The Allies were finally victorious when the campaign ended on 9 February 1943.
Ellis Island closed. (1954) More than 12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island in New York Harbor between 1892 and the present in 1954. More than 100 million American citizens—about 30 percent of the United States population—can trace their their ancestors to one of the immigrants admitted to the United States via Ellis Island.
Major League Baseball (MLB) has elected its first commissioner. (1920) A United States federal judge named Kenesaw Mountain Landis was the first MLB commissioner. The appointment was intended to restore the fan’s faith in the integrity of the sport, which had been damaged by a scandal during the 1919 World Series.
US President Gerald R. Ford became the longest serving US president. (2006) President Ford turned 93 years and 121 days, beating US President Reagan. President Ford died about a month later.
The first meteor shower in North America was recorded. (1799) American astronomer Ellicott Douglass recorded the Leonid meteor shower while visiting the Florida Keys. He was the first to record a meteor shower on the North American continent. The Leonid meteor shower occurs every year and is sometimes accompanied by comet Tempel-Tuttle.
US President Jimmy Carter halted US oil imports from Iran, ending peaceful diplomatic relations between the two countries. (1979) The oil import ban was a response to the Iran hostage crisis in which 66 US citizens were taken hostage at the US embassy in Tehran.
William “Pudge” Heffelfinger became the first professional football player in the United States. (1892) Heffelfinger was the first known gambler to be paid to play. Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Athletic Association paid him $500 US dollars to play against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club.
The first photos of Saturn’s rings have been transmitted to Earth. (1980) NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe reached Saturn on this day and sent photos of the planet’s rings to Earth, nearly a billion miles (about 1.6 billion km) away.
“The Nose” has been climbed for the first time. (1958) The more famous of two rock faces on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley was first ascended by a team of rock climbers including Warren Harding, George Whitmore and Wayne Merry. The ascent lasted 47 days. With modern climbing tools, “The Nose” can now be climbed in about four to five days.
