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The K-9 corps was launched by the US Army in 1942, with over one million dogs serving in WWII. Other events include the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, the approval of African American soldiers in the Confederate States, and the discovery of Uranus.
The US Army launched the K-9 corps. (1942) The new War Dog program, also known as the K-9 corps, was an instant success and over one million dogs served on both sides during WWII. The most decorated dog of the war was Chips, a dog who single-handedly attacked a machine gun nest and forced the entire nest to surrender.
Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. (1881) Alexander had actually been a very progressive ruler for his time, and was even in the process of reforming the Russian political system. Eventually he was assassinated by the Will of the People group, leading to huge setbacks in the creation of the Duma, or Russian parliamentary system.
The Confederate States of America approved the use of African American soldiers. (1865) The idea had been proposed several times during the war, but Confederate superiors were reluctant, as it would essentially free the slaves. When the proposal finally passed, it did not stipulate that slaves should be freed, although Robert E. Lee called for it.
The Senate has begun hearing impeachment charges against Andrew Johnson. (1868) The charges included everything from violating the Reconstruction Act of Congress to engaging in “incendiary and scandalous speeches.” Johnson faced eleven charges; to put that into perspective, Clinton only faced two in her impeachment trials.
The character of Uncle Sam had his print debut. (1852) The famous caricature first appeared in the New York Lantern, a weekly comic. Although the Uncle Sam idea had been used intermittently in popular culture, the figure had its first national print debut on this day.
Mongolia declared independence from China. (1921) The country was led by Russian mystic Ungern von Sternberg, who believed he was a reincarnation of Genghis Khan. He was captured and executed less than a year later, although Mongolia remained independent.
Uranus has been discovered. (1781) German-born astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus, the first planet to be discovered in modern times. Although others had seen the planet before, they had classified it as a star, a misconception that Herschel corrected.
The Butler Act was signed, banning the teaching of evolution in Tennessee. (1925) The law went into effect a few weeks later, setting the stage for the infamous Scopes Monkey Trials.
CBS World News Roundup premiered. (1938) The radio program was originally intended to be a one-off reporting on the occupation of Austria, but became very popular, as it was the first program to feature live correspondents in Europe reporting in New York. It continued to air throughout the 21st century.
New College in Massachusetts renamed itself Harvard College. (1639) The now-famous university was originally called New College, but was renamed Harvard after a clergyman named John Harvard bequeathed it a large sum of money in his will. In its early days, Harvard only had about 30 students.
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