Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany (1917); Tally’s Electric Theater opened in LA (1902); Pope John Paul II died (2005); US Mint founded (1792); John Gotti convicted (1992); Richmond Bread Riot occurred (1863); LexisNexis launched (1973); Ponce de Leon discovered Florida (1513); As the World Turns debuted (1956); first “panda” crossing opened in UK (1962).
President Woodrow Wilson called for a declaration of war against Germany. (1917) Congress granted the request four days later and the United States entered World War I.
The first full-time cinema opens. (1902) Tally’s Electric Theater in Los Angeles was the first purpose-built theater to show motion pictures. The founder, Thomas Tally, was also the first to show color film in 1912 and the first to sign film contracts with Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford.
Pope John Paul II died. (2005) One of the most popular modern popes, John Paul II led the Catholic church for 26 years. His funeral was attended by over 2 million people and is said to be the largest funeral in history.
The United States Mint is founded. (1792) The Coinage Act was passed on this day, establishing the first United States Mint and authorizing the minting of coins including “eagles” and “dismes”. People could also bring their own bars of silver and gold and have them minted for free.
Mafia boss John Gotti has been convicted. (1992) Gambino crime family boss Gotti was known as the “Teflon Don” for his ability to avoid conviction, but was ultimately convicted of 13 counts that included murder and racketeering. Gotti was found guilty on all counts and served the rest of his life in prison.
The Richmond Bread Riot occurred. (1863) Hundreds of angry women storm Richmond, demanding that the government release emergency food supplies. Jefferson Davis desperately threw his change at them and finally threatened to call in the militia before the mob dispersed.
Launch of LexisNexis®. (1973) The database search service initially included only court decisions from Ohio and New York and was built as an extension of an experiment by the Ohio State Bar. By 2010, the service archived 10 terabytes of data on its servers.
Florida has been discovered. (1513) On this day the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed on the Florida coast in search of the fabled “Fountain of Youth”. Leon and his explorers were attacked by Native Americans almost immediately and retreated to Cuba, although the territory officially remained the property of Spain until the 1800s.
How The World Turns Debuted. (1956) Along with The Edge of the Night, As the World Turns was the first daytime drama to debut in the 30-minute format. The show ran for 54 seasons and was only surpassed by Guiding Light for longest running soap opera.
The first “panda” crossing was opened in the UK. (1962) Panda crossings were some of the first electronic crossings and were a huge step forward for UK pedestrian control, as the former ‘zebra’ crossings allowed passengers to cross at their discretion. The crossings received mixed reviews when they opened: one elderly lady was quoted by the BBC as saying “It’s a very extravagant and very dangerous scheme”.
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