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Important events in history include the first mass polio vaccine (1954), printing of Gutenberg’s Bible (1455), production of commercially viable aluminum (1886), raising of the US flag on Iwo Jima (1945), Battle of the Alamo (1836), Lincoln’s assassination attempt (1861), lease of Guantanamo Bay to the US (1903), monitoring of US radio broadcasts by the FRC (1927), Muhammad’s last sermon (632), and the birth of the Rotary Club (1905).
The first mass polio vaccine was administered. (1954) Polio was a devastating and widespread disease before Jonas Salk discovered its vaccine. Although there were fears that the vaccine actually caused polio after a bad batch infected several children, the vaccine later spread around the world and the disease was virtually eradicated.
Gutenberg’s Bible is said to have been printed. (1455) The printing of Gutenberg’s Bible marked a huge innovation in publishing, as it was the first book published with movable type.
The first commercially viable aluminum is produced. (1886) Aluminum was produced after years of experimentation by Charles Martin Hall, and quickly became a widely used commercial product. In the 21st century, more aluminum has been produced than any other non-ferrous metal.
The US flag has been raised on Iwo Jima. (1945) The flag-raising image became one of the most famous images of the war and won a Pulitzer for photographer Joe Rosenthal.
The Battle of the Alamo began. (1836) Although the battle lasted only a few days, it was a major turning point in the Texas Revolution. The Mexican forces’ cruelty to the Alamo soldiers greatly inspired people to volunteer for the Texian Army, and the newly sustained forces beat the Mexican Army, ending the revolution a few months later.
Lincoln avoided an assassination attempt. (1861) Rumors circulated of a plot to assassinate Lincoln in Baltimore on his way to his inauguration, so Lincoln secretly sneaked through the city and arrived in Washington DC on this day. His actions were later seen as cowardly and influenced people’s opinion of him when he began his presidency.
Cuba has leased Guantanamo Bay to the United States in perpetuity. (1903) Guantanamo Bay is the only US military base in a country with which the United States has no diplomatic relations. The legality of the original lease was offered at the end of the Spanish-American War by Cuba’s first president. Guantanamo Bay is also home to Cuba’s first and only McDonald’s restaurant.
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) has begun monitoring US radio broadcasts. (1927) In a move some radio broadcasters regretted, the Federal Radio Commission – later the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – was asked to begin monitoring radio transmissions to bring some order to the airwaves. The FRC could take a radio station’s content into consideration when deciding whether to renew its licence, which some felt was a violation of the right to free speech.
The Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have preached his last sermon. (632) Known as Khutbatul Wada’, Muhammad’s last sermon covers a variety of spiritual and practical matters and is still cited as a major Islamic text.
The Rotary Club is born. (1905) It was originally founded by four Chicago businessmen as the world’s first lay service organization. It grew rapidly and became international, with over 1 million members.
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