American POWs were released from Vietnam War (1973), Coolidge delivered first radio address (1924), last emperor of China abdicated (1912), women gained right to vote in Utah (1870), Lincoln Memorial cornerstone laid (1914), Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” premiered (1924), San Francisco issued same-sex marriage licenses (2004), Solzhenitsyn exiled from Russia (1974), first spacecraft landed on asteroid (2001), Darwin born (1809).
The first American POWs of the Vietnam War were released. (1973) Nearly 600 American POWs were released as part of Operation Homecoming. Many had been imprisoned for nearly ten years.
President Calvin Coolidge became the first president to deliver a radio address. (1924) Radio quickly became a popular way for the president to address the nation, perhaps most famously with President Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats.”
The last emperor of China abdicated. (1912) Emperor Pu Yi was forced to abdicate after the revolution led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen. He was only six years old when he abdicated, but his abdication ended more than 2,000 years of imperial rule and paved the way for the Communist Party’s eventual takeover.
Women gained the right to vote in Utah. (1870) Utah was the second state to grant women the right to vote, although that right was revoked in 1887 before being granted permanently in 1895, again 20 years before the 19th amendment allowed women to vote. vote. By the time the 19th amendment finally passed, 15 states had already granted women full suffrage, most of which were in the West.
The cornerstone of the Lincoln Memorial was laid. (1914) The memorial has since been the site of many historic events, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
The premiere of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. (1924) The innovative study of jazz is considered one of Gershwin’s signature pieces. Combining elements of classical music with jazz, Gershwin finally established himself as a composer.
San Francisco has begun issuing marriage licenses for same-sex marriages. (2004) This was in direct opposition to the California law but was encouraged by the mayor, Gavin Newsom. The incident attracted international attention, despite the marriages being later annulled by the California Supreme Court.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was exiled from Russia. (1974) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was an influential playwright, novelist and historian. His writings made the outside world aware of Russia’s Gulag system and eventually earned him a Nobel Prize in literature.
The first spacecraft landed on an asteroid. (2001) NEAR Shoemaker landed on asteroid Eros on this day. It provided multiple scans of the surface and performed experiments to estimate the asteroid’s gravitational field, giving scientists new insights into the nature of asteroids.
Charles Darwin was born. (1809) Darwin revolutionized scientific understanding of mankind with his theories of evolution and natural selection.
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