The US dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, killing 39,000 people. Charles Manson killed Sharon Tate and four others. Terry Nichols was sentenced to 161 life sentences for the Oklahoma City bombing. Work on the Leaning Tower of Pisa began. Bridgestone/Firestone recalled 6.5 million tires linked to 46 deaths. Mahatma Gandhi was arrested by the British. Gerald R. Ford became the 38th US President. The Sistine Chapel was inaugurated. George W. Bush approved funding for embryonic stem cell research. Jesse Owens won four Olympic medals in 1936.
The United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, instantly killing 39,000 people. (1945) The bomb known as the “Fat Man” was dropped three days after the nuclear bomb named “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima. A total of 74,000 people were killed and as many were injured. The effects of radiation continue to cause disease and death to this day.
Charles Manson and his cult killed US actress Sharon Tate and four other people. (1969) Tate, who was married to famed Hollywood director Roman Polanski, was pregnant at the time of the murders. Manson and his cult followers were later convicted of murder. Manson was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison when the death penalty was temporarily abolished in California in 1972.
Terry Nichols was sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. (2004) Nichols’ conviction included charges of one count of fetal homicide, 161 counts of first-degree murder, and conspiracy. He is serving his sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado.
Work on the Leaning Tower of Pisa began; it would not be completed for 200 years. (1173) The bell tower is also known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa: the tower began to lean almost immediately after construction began due to an incorrect foundation. Construction was delayed nearly 200 years because the Pisans were almost constantly at war.
6.5 million tires have been recalled in the US after being linked to 46 deaths and hundreds of crashes. (2000) Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. recalled its Wilderness AT, ATX and ATX II tires. Ultimately, 271 deaths and hundreds of injuries were linked to the bad tires. There are also more than 50 lawsuits filed against the company and a US federal investigation into how well the company knew about the tires’ problems before selling them to consumers. The recall and lawsuits cost Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. more than US$400 million.
Mahatma Gandhi was arrested by the British in Bombay. (1942) Indian leader Gandhi and nearly the entire Indian National Congress were arrested following a speech by Gandhi calling for independence from Britain. The situation launched the Quit India movement.
Gerald R. Ford became the 38th president of the United States following the resignation of US President Richard M. Nixon. (1974) Ford was the only person to hold the office of Vice President of the United States and President of the United States without having been elected to either office. He was named vice president by Nixon when Spiro Agnew resigned because Agnew was facing criminal charges.
Sistine Chapel inaugurated. (1483) The chapel is the home of the Pope in Vatican City. It is also famous for artwork and frescoes by painters such as Raphael and Michelangelo.
US President George W. Bush has approved government funding for embryonic stem cell research. (2001) That same year, scientists successfully cloned the first early human embryos, with four to six cells, to provide more stem cells for research.
Jesse Owens became the first American to win four Olympic medals in one Olympics. (1936) Owens won gold medals in the 100m and 200m dash, 4×100m relay, and long jump. That feat wasn’t repeated until the 1984 Summer Olympics when Carl Lewis won gold medals in exactly the same events.
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