The first US presidential election was held in 1789, only white male landowners could vote. Truman announced the US had created the first hydrogen bomb in 1953. Pol Pot was overthrown in 1979, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed in 1990.
The first US presidential election was held. (1789) The only people eligible to vote were white male landowners who elected the first members of the electoral college. The college then chose George Washington, as expected.
Two men crossed the English Channel in a hot air balloon. (1785) Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries were the first to cross the English Channel by plane. The attempt nearly failed due to all the foreign equipment they brought with them, including anchors and a pair of oars they hoped to row in the air. When the balloon arrived in Calais, they were forced to jettison all their equipment, which enabled them to land safely.
US President Truman announced that the United States has created the first hydrogen bomb. (1953) The development of the bomb came almost in direct response to news that the USSR had detonated an atomic bomb three years earlier. It was one of the first cases of technological and military superiority that characterized the Cold War.
Japanese Emperor Hirohito dies. (1989) Hirohito had been emperor for more than 60 years and had been instrumental in the Japanese surrender in World War II. Even after being deprived of power after World War II, Hirohito continued to remain a symbol of Japanese culture and dogged development in the face of tragedy.
Transatlantic telephone service between London and New York is born. (1927) Over 500 calls were made in the first 24 hours of its opening.
Cambodian dictator Pol Pot has been overthrown. (1979) Better known as the leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot instituted a brutal series of reforms and ethnic cleansing in Cambodia. It is estimated that more than two million Cambodians were executed or died of forced labor or famine during his three-year rule.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed to the public. (1990) The tower had become unstable due to the increasing inclination. Over the next decade, engineers tried various ways to stabilize the tower without losing its famous lean. The tower was reopened in 2001 and was declared stable for the next 300 years.
Galileo discovered three moons of Jupiter. (1610) At first he thought they were stars, but he soon realized his mistake. This was one of the first major space discoveries made with a telescope and demonstrated the telescope’s usefulness to the scientific community.
France took Calais, Britain’s last continental possession. (1558) Calais had been under British control for more than 200 years and had been contested. The French Duke of Guise was finally able to capture it, ending the era of British continental possessions.
US officials recognized Castro’s government in Cuba. (1959) Although the United States had backed Castro’s predecessor Batista, it hoped to avoid provoking a more radical revolution in Cuba and Latin America by trying to work with the government of Castro, not against it.
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