David Berkowitz, also known as “Son of Sam,” began his killing spree in New York City, claiming a total of six lives. Mark O. Barton killed nine people in Atlanta before taking his own life. Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who later died in a car accident. Vincent van Gogh committed suicide at the age of 37. NASA was created in 1958. Hawaii’s first sugar plantation opened in 1835. Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party in 1921. US President Gerald R. Ford visited Auschwitz in 1975. Bill Mueller hit two grand slams in a single game in 2003. Bob Dylan disappeared from the public spotlight for eight years after a mysterious motorcycle accident in 1966.
The “Son of Sam” killed for the first time, starting a long reign of terror in New York City. (1976) Serial killer David Richard Berkowitz shot Rose Lauria, killing her instantly, and fired twice more, hitting Lauria’s friend Jody Valenti in her thigh and missing Lauria’s daughter. Berkowitz would continue his killing spree until arresting him over a year later in 1977, killing a total of six people and wounding seven others. He claimed he was ordered to kill by his neighbor’s dog, which was possessed by a demon.
A day trader opened fire, killing nine after killing his wife and children that morning. (1999) A stock trader named Mark O. Barton murdered his wife of 27 years Leigh Ann Barton, his son of 11 years and his daughter of 7 years before making their way to office buildings in the Buckhead district of Atlanta, Georgia. He opened fire in each of the two buildings, killing nine and wounding 12 others. He was later found and stopped by police, at which point he shot and killed himself.
Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. (1981) An estimated 750 million people watched the wedding, which was broadcast live on television. The couple later divorced in 1996 and Diana was killed in a car accident a year later in 1997.
Vincent van Gogh shot and killed himself at the age of 37. (1890) Van Gogh suffered from severe mental illness and depression. On this day, he entered a field and shot himself in the chest; he died two days later. He was not well known in his short life: his fame came after his death. He didn’t start painting until his late twenties, but still created more than 20 works of art. His work is now among the most recognizable in the world.
NASA was created when the National Aeronautics and Space Act was signed into law. (1958) US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law, replacing the current National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). NASA is an executive branch of the United States that researches and explores space.
Hawaii has opened its first sugar plantation. (1835) Koloa’s Old Sugar Mill Plantation was created by Ladd & Co. Within the first year, the plantation shipped 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms) of molasses and sugar to the continental United States. In the late 1960s, nearly 1.2 billion tons (more than 1 trillion kilograms) of sugar was produced in Hawaii. After the 1970s and 1980s, the tourism market displaced sugar plantations, which found cheaper land and jobs in the Caribbean.
Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. (1921) Early in his rise to power, Hitler was appointed party chairman on an elected council. Hitler quickly abandoned the board members and took the title of “Fuhrer,” meaning leader, and thereafter led the party single-handedly.
US President Gerald R. Ford visited Auschwitz – he was the first US president to do so. (1975) Auschwitz concentration camp was located in Poland during World War II. Between 1942 and 1944, more than a million people were killed there, almost all of them Jews.
Bill Mueller became the first and only batter in Major League Baseball history to hit two Grand Slams in a single game from both sides of the plate. (2003) Mueller was playing for the Boston Red Sox and hit two consecutive grand slams “at bats.”
American musician Bob Dylan had a motorcycle accident, which caused him to become a recluse and disappear from the public spotlight for eight years. (1966) The incident remained a mystery. Dylan claimed to have broken vertebrae in his neck, but he was not called an ambulance and was not hospitalized. He continued to write and record music, but with a few exceptions, he didn’t appear in public again until January 1974, when he launched his “North American Tour.
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