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The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, killing 166,000 people. The first woman swam across the English Channel in 1926, and Norwich University was established in 1819 as the first US military school.
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. (1945) It was the first atomic bomb detonated in warfare. It killed 66,000 people instantly and a total of 166,000 died over a period of months from nuclear fallout. US President Harry S. Truman ordered the use of the first nuclear bomb, which the military called “Little Boy”. A second nuclear bomb, “Fat Man”, was dropped on Nagasaki three days later on 9 August.
50,000 people in Japan attended a memorial service mourning the anniversary of Hiroshima. (1995) The service was held at the Hiroshima Peace Park, which was built on the site where the bomb exploded. By that time, more than 192,000 people had died from the bomb dropped that day in 1945.
The first person was executed in the electric chair. (1890) William Kemmler, convicted of killing his lover Matilda Ziegler with an ax, was executed in New York at Auburn State Prison. The first shock was administered for 17 seconds but failed, leaving Kemmler alive. A second current of 1.030 volts administered for two minutes finally killed him.
The World Wide Web has become publicly available. (1991) Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. On December 25, 1990, he successfully connected an http client to an Internet server. Less than a year later, on this day, the “WWW” was publicly accessible.
The first woman swam across the English Channel. (1926) Gertrude Caroline Ederle, an American from New York State, was a competitive swimmer. She swam the channel in 14 hours and 31 minutes, two hours faster than the men’s record.
The world has been navigated in the “wrong direction” for the first time. (1971) Chay Blyth from Great Britain sailed his yacht around the world from east to west, against winds and currents. She completed the 30,000-mile (48,280 km) journey in 292 days, also setting the record for fastest non-stop sailing around the world.
Harry Houdini was sealed underwater for 91 minutes before escaping alive. (1926) Houdini was a famous Hungarian-American escape artist and magician. He is famous for escaping all types of confinement including handcuffs, prison cells, straight jackets and even coffins after being buried alive.
The first U.S. military school is established. (1819) Norwich University in Vermont educates approximately 2,000 students each year from 20 countries. 138 of the school’s alumni have served as generals in the US military.
Alice Ramsey and three of her friends were the first women to complete a transcontinental road trip. (1909) The trip began in Manhattan, New York and ended in San Francisco, California. Of the 3,600-mile (5,794-kilometer) ride, only 152 miles (245 kilometers) were paved.
American actress Lucille Ball was born. (1911) The comedian, film star and television actress was perhaps best known for her television show I Love Lucy, which ran for nine seasons. Throughout her career, Ball has won numerous awards, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
