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Nixon announced peace in Vietnam (1973), the International Opium Convention was signed (1912), Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor (1849), the Shaanxi earthquake killed over 800,000 (1556), Elva Zona Heaster’s ghost testimony led to her husband’s conviction (1897), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first members (1986), the Frisbee® was invented (1957), Stalinist purges trial occurred (1937), the Royal Exchange opened in London (1565), and “Roots” miniseries aired (1977).
US President Nixon announced that a peace agreement had been reached in Vietnam. (1973) The Vietnam War was one of the longest wars in American history and had become a highly controversial and unpopular topic in America. Nixon announced that America had won “peace with honor” and would begin withdrawing troops shortly.
The International Opium Convention was held in The Hague. (1912) It was the first major drug control treaty and was signed by the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, and France, among others. The treaty was later incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles, making it the first global drug control treaty.
Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor. (1849) Blackwell was the first recognized female doctor in the United States. She was hugely influential in the development of gynecology and obstetrics and she also founded the first women’s medical college in the United States.
One of the worst earthquakes in history hit China. (1556) The Shaanxi earthquake is often considered the deadliest earthquake in history due to its death toll of over 800,000 people. The quake struck 97 counties and killed up to 60 percent of the population in some areas.
Elva Zona Heaster, the ghost of the Greenbrier, has been found dead. (1897) Heaster’s death would have remained insignificant were it not for the fact that the testimony of her ghost had been accepted at the subsequent trial. Authorities initially thought Heaster died of natural causes, but her mother later claimed that the ghost of her Elva had visited her and told her otherwise, leading to the arrest and conviction of her widowed husband . It was one of the few times in American legal history that ghost testimony was considered at trial.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first inductees. (1986) Group members included rock and roller founders Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley.
The first Frisbee® is born. (1957) Toy company Wham-O began making flying saucers after seeing college students throwing pie pans at each other. The pans were manufactured by the William Frisbie pie company, hence the name Frisbee®.
One of the main trials of the Stalinist purges took place. (1937) There were 17 men tried for participating in a Trotskyist plot to overthrow Stalin. Of the 17, 13 were sentenced to death, while the other five were sent to labor camps.
The Royal Exchange has opened in London. (1565) The Royal Exchange was one of London’s first major official trading centers and has continued to serve as a major financial center into the 21st century. Interestingly, all stockbrokers were banned from trading in the 17th century due to their “bad manners” and were required to operate in nearby cafés.
The television miniseries “Roots” has begun airing on ABC. (1977) The hugely popular series was based on the novel of the same name by Alex Haley, which followed the life of Kunta Kinte, an African warrior who later becomes a slave. The series finale was one of the highest-rated US television shows ever.
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